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CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 



OF 



HANCOCK COUNTY 
OHIO 



ILLUSTRATED 



EMBELLISHED WITH PORTRAITS OF MANY WELL KNOWN PEOPLE OF HANCOCK COUNTY 

WHO HAVE BEEN OR ARE PROMINENT IN ITS HISTORY 

AND DEVELOPMENT 



NEW YORK AND CHICAGO 

THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY 

19 3 






^ 



PREFACE, 



Wf{l^\f^^^ UT of the depths of- his mature wisdom Carlyle wrote, 



f^ "History is the essence of innumerable biographies." 
if BeHeving this to be a fact, there is no necessity of 
j2 advancing any further reason for the compilation of 
^ such a work as this, if reliable history is to be the 
%X:^;^SJ?X4ol^fe ultimate object. 

The section of Ohio embraced by this volume has sustained within 
its confines men who have been prominent in the history of the State, 
and even the nation, for a century. The annals teem with the records 
of strong and noble manhood, and, as Sumner has said, "the true grand- 
eur of nations is in those qualities which constitute the greatness of the 
individual." The final causes which shape the fortunes of individuals and 
the destinies of States are often the same. They are usually remote and 
obscure, and their influence scarcely perceived until manifestly declared by 
results. That nation is the greatest which produces the greatest and most 
manly men and faithful women; and the intrinsic safety of a community 
depends not so much upon methods as upon that normal development from 
the deep resources of which proceeds all that is precious and perma- 
nent in life. But such a result may not consciously be contemplated by 
the actors in the great social drama. Pursuing each his personal good by 
exalted means, they work out as a logical result. 

The elements of success in life consist in both innate capacity and deter- 
mination to excel. Where either is wanting, failure is almost certain in the 
outcome. The study of a successful life, therefore, serves both as a source 
of information and as a stimulus and encouragement to those who have the 
capacity. As an important lesson in this connection we may appropriately 



4 PREFACE 

quote Longfellow, who said: "We judge ourselves by what we feel capa- 
ble of doing, while we judge others by what they have already done." A 
faithful personal history is an illustration of the truth of this observation. 

In this biographical history the editorial staff, as well as the publishers, 
have fully realized the magnitude of the task. In the collection of the ma- 
terial there has been a constant aim to discriminate carefully in regard to 
the selection of subjects. Those who have been prominent factors in the 
public, social and industrial development of the county have been 'given due 
recognition as far as it has been possible to secure the requisite data. 
Names worthy of perpetuation here, it is true, have in several instances been 
omitted, either on account of the apathy of those concerned or the inability 
of the compilers to secure the information necessary for a symmetrical 
sketch; but even more pains have been taken to secure accuracy than were 
promised in the prospectus. Works of this nature, therefore, are more reli- 
able and complete than are the " standard " histories of a country. 

THE PUBLISHERS. 



INDEX. 



Adams, James T., 321 
Adams, M. A., 403 
Adams, Newton M., 323 
Adelsperger, W. H., 218 
Alexander, Matliew M., 456 
Alford, William C. 235 
Alspach, Salathiel V.. iQQ 
Alspach, William, 487 
Anderson, John D., 355 
Arnold, John T., 44 

Baker, John, 84 
Baker, Joseph P.. 480 
Balsley. Alfred H., 522 
Barnhill, Tobia G., 549 
Barr, John M., 420 
Bartoon, Joseph T., 438 
Beamer, Charles, 576 
Beard, John, 406 
Beardsley, Herbert V., 591 
Beck, David, 492 
Bell, Marion, 501 
Benner, J. H., 541 
Bennett. Rufus W., 230 
Bibler. B. R, 475 
Bickelhaupt, Frederick J., 213 
Bigelow, Charles H., 211 
Biggs. Samuel M., 338 
Bish, Andrew, 500 
Bish, William S., 500 
Bishop, Henry, 48 
Bishop, John S., 50 
Black. William P., 411 
Blymyer, Henry J., 302 
Boger, Jacob H., 8g 
Bohn. Jacob. 227 
Bolander, William, 301 
Bolton. Elmer C, 332 
Bond, Charles A., 491 
Bope, James A., 82 



Bowers, Jacob, 556 
Bowlby, Salamis, 305 
Boyd, Richard W., 27 
Boyd, T. C, 282 
Brenner, John, 545 
Brenner, William, 590 
Brickman, H. A., 114 
Brickman, William F., 2.^5 
Bright, Charles, 28 
Bright, Levi, 254 
Bright, Major, 104 
Brinker, Jesse I., 197 
Broadwater, Luke H., 266 
Brooks, C. W., 424 
Brooks, Harrison, 318 
Brown, Abraham, 72 
Brown, Henry W., 553 
Browneller, D. P., 310 
Browneller, Frederick. 309 
Burket, Harlan F., 520 
Burket, Jacob F., g 
Byal, Absalom P., 162 
Byal, Henry, 64 

Carlin, Squire, 192 
Carpenter, C. A., 335 
Carrothers, George, 12 
Casterline, Cyrus L., 550 
Gathers, Preston B., 198 
Chambers, Clinton A., 221 
Chambers, David U., 573 
Chase, Justus, 24 
Chase, J. Z., 172 
Clark, Harvey G., 537 
Clark, James R., 317 
Clayton, Joseph B., 393 
Clymer. A. H., Sr., 559 
Clymer, Thomas H., 292 
Cobb, Alden H., 268 
Cobb, Marion A., 261 



INDEX. 



Cole, Ralph D., 553 
Cole, Raymond, 103 
Cole, William W., 167 
Coleman, Nelson, 27Q 
Coontz, Warner, 298 
Cooper, Isaac W., 443 
Cooper, Robert A., 565 
Corthell, Clinton S., 495 
Corwin, Hezekiah, 161 
Cowley, Millard C, 68 
Cramer, Andrew, 149 
Cramer, George F., 34 
Cramer, Joseph, 139 
Creighton, William J., 241 
Cross, James, 121 
Cross, John H., 560 
Crowell, Frank R., 594 
Cusac, James M., 85 
Cusac, William, 85 
Cusac, William J., 390 

Dailey, Baker, 511 
Daily Courier, The, 587 
Daman, W. C, 348 
Davis, Abner L., 424 
Davis, David T.. 225 
Davis, Isaac, 341 
Davy, Mrs. Rebecca N., 89 
Davy, Robert, 88 
Decker, James, 465 
Deihlman, George A., 498 
Demland, William A., 502 
Dennison, James, 52 
De Vore, George W., 538 
De Wolf. Surrel P., 340 
Dick, David, 96 
Donnell, James C. 303 
Dorsey, Wallace, 311 
Doty, John N., 20 
Doty, William C, 258 
Dozer, Jesse L., 395 
Dreisbach, David M.. 112 
Dreisbach, Gabriel M., 368 
Dukes, Clark W, 362 
Dukes, Lewis S., 16 
Dunn, Eliiah T., 525 



Enfield, James A., 148 
Eofif, Louis W., 504 
Ernest, G. W., 205 
Ernest, William W., 366 
Ewing, Albert L., 106 
Ewing, Cornelius, 119 
Ewing, Erwin E., 17 
Ewing, Melvin E., iii 
Ewing, Philip W., 457 

Falk, Levi, 108 
Finsel, John E., 260 
Firmin, Francis W., 184 
Firmin, Lorenzo, 448 
Fisher, A. J., 79 
Fisher, Gotlob D., 163 
Fisher, John, 163 
Fisher, William, 342 
Fitch, D. W., 57-2 
Fitzgerald, Robert H., 521 
Flamion, Philip, 563 
Flick, Thomas, 299 
Fogler, William, 147 
Ford, Clayton W., 493 
Franks, Henry, 466 
Frey, William J., 327 
Fruth, Jacob, 412 

Garber, Christopher, 398 
George, Willard, 483 
Gillespie, Thomas F., 345 
Glathart, Aaron J., 100 
Glauner, William F., 361 
Gleckner, Adam, 593 
Goeppele, George, 509 
Goodman, George M., 580 
Gray, William P., 460 
Green, William, 383 
Greene, Isaac M., 579 
Gressly. Jacob, 295 
Griffin, Frank A., 206 
Grimm, John W., 286 
Growden, Arthur M., 439 
Grubb, Cyrus, 32 
Grubb, John H.. 468 
Guise, Perry O., 413 



Eckels, Joel, 22 
Ellis, Asa, 91 
Elsea, George W., 582 
Elsea, Samuel H., 76 



Haddox, Samuel, 435 
Hale, E. W., 557 
Hall, George W., 519 
Hammond, George F., 36 



INDEX. 



Hammond, M. R., 5.34 
Harrop, William, 4Q4 
Hartman, Andrew, 135 
Hartman, Jasper N., 216 
Hause, Henry M., 459 
Hawkins, Edgar A., 56 
Hayward, Collin D., 186 
Heck, Anderson C, 4q6 
Heck, John, 3Q7 
Heckert, William, 154 
Heimhofer. John B., 66 
Heistand, Henry, 191 
Herman, Joseph J., 569 
Hershey. Isaac, 138 
Heyn, Christian, 10.3 
Higbie, J. L., 117 
Hirschberger, John F., 281 
Holliger, Frederick A., Z7^ 
Hooper, Isaac W., 168 
Hosier, Morrison, 363 
Hosier, William F., 55 
Hostler, Lewis H.. 385 
Houck, William H., 40 
Hoy, James T., 329 
Hudson, J. E., 433 
Hughes, Don C, 367 

Ingold, Jacob, 533 
Insley, Isaac, 62 

Jacobs, John W., 306 
Jameson, Cornelius S., 87 
Johnston, Charles S., 575 

Kagey, John C, 47s 
Kagy, Joseph R., 18 
Karg, Frederick J., 476 
Karg, Louis, 497 
Karn, Theodore, 3.31 
Karst, J. B., 447 
Keeley, James, 187 
Keenan, Hugh J., 486 
Kelley, James W., 401 
Kelley, J. B., 437 
Kelly, Luther C, 11 
Kempher, Rado, 568 
Ketzcnbarger, Jacob O., 42 
Kibler, Jacob, 357 
Kibler, R. J., 237 
Kiefer, William I., 394 
Kimmell, Jacob A.. 200 



Kinder, Walter H., 313 
Kirkbridc, James W., 19 
Kissebcrth, John L., 67 
Kistler, Benjamin, Sr., 128 
Krabill, Hiram D., 485 
Krauss, Charles J., 419 
Kuhlman, William, 462 

Larkins, Sorel}', 555 
Latshaw, A. B., 240 
Lear, William A., 405 
Lechner, Michael, 180 
Lee, Noah, 144 
Lemott, Samuel, 150 
Leonard, Robert L., 59 
Lewis, Francis M., 544 
Lichty, Benedict, 320 
Linhart, Jacob A., 27 
Linhart, John H., 26 
Longbrake, Louis, 214 

Mw 

Maclachlan, Norman L., 478 
Madsuse, William, 356 
Mallen, Charles, 489 
Martin, Jerome M., 252 
M'arvin, Isaac W., 536 
Marvin, Otta B., 482 
Mascho, Charles W., 499 
Matthias, Albert C, 517 
McAn^lly, Moses, 115 
McArthur, George, 276 
McElwaine, William H., 523 
McGee, Martin P., 446 
McLeod, Joseph R., 349 • 
McManness, Lemuel, 181 
McRill, Jefferson C, 296 
Measel, Mrs. Harriet H., 192 
Mellott, John H., 463 
Metzler, W. M.. 418 
Miley, Harvey C, 51 
Miller, Alexander. 264 
Miller, Francis M., 39 
Miller, Levi, 273 
Miller, William B., 247 
Mitchell, Parlee, 552 
Miitchell, Thomas M., 352 
Moffett, William R., 245 
Montgomery, John, 109 
Montgomery, John T., 43 
Montgomery, William, 74 
Moorhead, John M., 174 



8 



INDEX. 



Morrison, Nelson H., 594 
Morrison, Philemon B., 451 
Motherwell, Robert B., 228 
Moyer, Edwin R., 253 
Moyer, M. M., 25.3 
Mioyer, Uriah B., 308 

Nau, Jacob, 354 
Neibling, William C, 488 
Nelson, George, 209 
Nelson, Jonathan, 169 
Newcomer, Levi B., 454 
Newhouse, William M., 422 
Nichols, Allison H., 531 
Norris, George W., 326 
Nusser, J. A., 467 

Oliver, Philip B., 514 
Oman, Ephraim I., I53 
Oman, George W., 535 
Overholt, A. J., 37i 
Overholt, Christian, 232 

Parker, Havilah L., 291 
Parker, John, 212 
Patterson, James L., 587 
Patterson, Joseph S., 336 
Pendleton, George F., 98 
Pendleton, George S., 474 
Pepple, Eli W., 554 
Pepple, Jacob, 173 
Pepple, William H., 15 
Peterman, John, 140 
Peters, George W., 105 
Phelps, George H., 262 
Phifer, George W., 450 
Pilcher, Milton A., 226 
Plotts, Andrew J., 384 
Poe, Nelson, 365 
Powell, Alexander B., 319 
Powell, Jacob E., 512 
Powell, Peter H., 256 
Powell, Sullivan, 217 
Powell, Valentine, 272 
-Presler, Napoleon B., 251 
Priddy, S. N. E., 430 
Purkey, Henry O.. 244 

Rainey, Harvey, 47 
Ramsey, Hamilton L., 289 
Ray, Frank C., 461 



Redfern, Joseph P., 203 
Reiter, Henry, 270 
Reiter, Sebastian J., 271 
Reynolds, George M., 589 
Rial, Allfree H., 208 
Ricketts, Jasper T., 428 
Riegle, John W. S., 61 
Roberts, Solomon N., 134 
Roether, Abraham, 588 
Roller, George W., 127 
Roller, Jefferson, 539 
Roller, W. C, 196 
Ross, George W., 170 
Routzon, David C, 31 
Rummell, George B., 63 
Rmnmell, William R., 38 
Russell, Frank, 222 
Russell, Robert B., 53 

Sager, Andrew, 445 
Saltsman, Norman, 402 
Saltzman, Christopher A., 95 
Sampson, John Z., 571 
Sausser, David W., 130 
Schoonover, John, 392 
Schubert, Daniel N., 243 
Schubert, John, 124 
Sch-winn, Philipp, 353 
Scothorn, Abraham W., 408 
Shafer, Morgan C, 506 
Sharninghause, William, 564 
Shea, James, 190 
Sheets, Henry, 441 
Sherick, David, 70 
Sherman, Conrad, 548 
Shilling, Jesse, 346 
Shoe, John W., i8g 
Shull, Hermon T., 131 
Shull, Isaac L., 570 
Siddall, A. C, 423 
Smith, A. H., 581 
Smith, Augustus M., 516 
Smith, Charles F., 324 
Smith, Daniel L., 508 
Smith, George H., 351 
Sm.ith, Henry C, 107 
Snider, Isaac C, 143 
Snider, Solomon, 4-10 
Snider, William F., 54 
Snyder, George W., 380 
Snyder, Henry, 238 



INDEX. 



Solether, John S., 176 
Solt, David B., 333 
Solt, Peter, 248 
Stackhouse, Thomas J., 503 
Stacy, Thomas, 210 
Stahl, Levi, 546 
Stall, John F., 382 
Steinman. Benjamin C, 35 
Stephenson, William, 426 
Stephenson, William E., 31; 
Stevenson, A. W., 452 
Stevenson, Evan D., 178 
Stewart, S. M., 93 
Stockton, Charles A., 30 
Stoflfel, Joseph, 547 
Stoker, Darius R., 472 
Stoker, George M., 14 
Stoker, Wilson C, 464 
Storts, Francis M., 300 
Stough, George S., 586 
Stough, Henry, 71 
Strother, Mrs. Sarah A., 414 
Sutter, Fredrick, 477 
Sutton, John A., 375 
Swab, John W., 132 
Swab, Samuel, 400 
Swank, H. D., 561 
Swartz, Nelsen R.. 498 
Switzer, Daniel E., 321 

Tait, William M., 316 
Tarbox, Harry L.. 120 
Taylor, Charles R.. 532 
Taylor, Edmund C, 46 
Taylor, Rufus E., 157 
Teatsorth, Isaac, 578 
Thomas, Albert J., 283 
Thomas, Charles H., 432 
Thomas, David, 470 
Thomas, Grant, 220 
Thomas, John A., 389 
Thomas, Samuel B., 574 
Thomas, William, 469 
Thompson. Isaac, 416 
Trout. Ephraim, 374 
Trout. Milton E.. 379 



Trout, Sylvanus W., 378 
Trueslow, Wilbur F., 293 

Van Eman, Josephus C., 234 
Van Horn, Perry, 347 
Van Lue. E. V., 151 
Van Sant, Frank, 158 
Van Sickle, John, 370 
Vickers, Hilton A., 440 

Waggoner, William G., 278 
Walter, Daniel, 288 
Wanamaker, Eliphes, 344 
Watkins, George W., 275 
Watson, Charles E., 207 
Watson, Charles R., 269 
Watson, Richard M., 360 
Webster, W. C, 543 
Weirough, Philip, 566 
Whitman, George W., 515 
Wilcox, Edgar, 455 
Williamson, James, 81 
Williamson, William A., 277 
Wilson, James, 165 
Winders, Henry F., 551 
Wineland, B. F., 387 
Wise, Benjamin J., 364 
Wise, Franklin, 126 
Wise, W. A., 490 
Wiseley, Martin L., 224 
Wisely, William P, 136 
Wiseman, Andrew, 528 
Wiseman, Joseph, 530 
Witmore, Henry E., 183 
Wolf, Adam, 429 
Wolf, Simon, 524 
Wolfe, Mary A., 266 
Wolff, Louis A., 510 
Woodruff, Sheldon, 284 
Woods, L. S., 376 
Worden, Alvin L., 312 
Worden, Robert B., 312 

Young, M. C, 540 

Zeller, John W.. 583 



A CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

OF 

HANCOCK COUNTY, OHIO. 



JACOB F. BURKET. 



The subject of this sketch has been a famihar figure in Ohio for many 
years, owing to his prominent connection both with the bench and bar of the 
state. For over thirty years he was an attorney in active practice at Findlay, 
and since February 9, 1893, has been a member of the state supreme court, at 
present holding the position of chief justice of that tribunah His family is 
of Swiss origin and it seems that the name was originally written Burkhardt. 
In 1758 the great-grandparents of our subject emigrated from Switzerland to 
America, accompanied by their son John, who was at that time an infant 
about four years old. On the voyage across the ocean the father died of a 
fatal illness, and his wndow^ after arriving in the United States located at 
Reading, Pennsylvania. John Burkhardt grew to manhood at that place, and 
at the beginning of the Revolutionary Avar became a member of Von Heer's 
Cavalry, which was organized under a special act of the Continental congress 
i<.)V the purpose of acting as a body guard to Washington. He participated 
with his command in its subsequent service, and Avith them shared the horrors 
of the never to be forgotten winter at Valley Forge. He remained with the 
army until the surrender of Cornwallis, after which he returned to his home 
at Reading, where he married a Miss Fox and subsequently removed to Ohio. 
Locating first in Perry county, near the village of Somerset, he removed later 
with his family to Sandusky county, settling near Hessville, west of Fremont, 
where his death occurred in February, 1847. Jo^^ii Burket became the father 
of eio-hteen children, among the younger of whom was a son named Solomon, 



lo CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Avho was born in 1806. He married Alary, daughter of George Brehn, who 
was a soldier in the war of 181 2, took part in the battles of Fort Meigs and 
Fallen Timbers, and died in Perry county at the age of ninety-three years. 
Solomon Burket resided in Perry county until 1838, when he removed to 
Hancock county, where he engaged in farming and followed that occupation 
until his death, which occurred March 6, 1847. He had a family of ten chil- 
dren, among whom was included the subject of this sketch. 

Tacob F. Burket was born on a farm in Perry county, three miles south 
of the village of Somerset, March 25, 1837, and when eighteen months old 
was brought to Hancock county by his parents, who located in Union township. 
He passed the earlier years of his life in the uneventful routine of farm work, 
in the meantime acquiring a fairly good education in the schools of the district 
and at Findlay. After finishing at this place, he completed his educated at the 
Seneca County Academy, then the best school in northwestern Ohio. When 
he had reached the eighteenth year of his age he became an instructor and 
taught his first term of school during the summer of 1855, "^ Blanchard town- 
ship. The subsequent seven years were occupied in teaching and attending 
school, with a view to entering the legal profession, of which he became a 
member by admission to the bar in 1861. In the fall of 1861 he located at 
Ottawa, Putnam county, but in April, 1862, returned to Findlay, where he 
continued the practice of law with marked success until 1893. During this 
period of more than thirty years Mr. Burket steadily rose in his profession and 
made a reputation as being one of the best lawyers of the Findlay bar. In 
1892 he was nominated by the Republican party as candidate for judge of the 
supreme court of Ohio, was elected in the ensuing fall and took his seat Feb- 
ruary 9, 1893. In 1897 he was re-elected to this position for another term of 
six years and is now chief justice of the court. While throughout his life Judge 
Burket has always been a consistent and earnest Republican in politics, he 
has never taken an active part in the campaigns. In 1880, however, he was 
an elector on the Garfield and Arthur ticket and still retains the ticket cast for 
those candidates in the electoral college. In 1887 he assisted in organizing the 
American National Bank of Findlay, of whicli he was elected president. 

Judge Burket was married near Adrian, Michigan, to Miss Pamy D. 
Walters, daughter of John and Eliza (Lowrey Walters, and to this union 
have been born six children, whose names are Harlan F., Charles O., William J., 
John F., Reginald and Lillie B., the latter being now the wife of Louis W. Eoff. 
Mrs. Burket died June 6, 1900. Judge Burket is a member of the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows and was grand master of the Ohio order in 1882 and 
1883. He and his sons, Harlan F. and John F., are members of the society 




MRS. JACOB F. BURKET. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY n 

of the Sons of the American Revohition. He and his son, Harlan F., are 
members of the Ohio State Bar Association, also of the American Bar Asso- 
ciation, and usually attend the meetings of those organizations. 

LUTHER C. KELLY. 

The family of this name, so long and favorably known in Hancock county, 
had its Ohio origin in Pickaway county from emigrants who came west at 
what the pioneers called "an early day." We first hear of Joseph Kelly, who 
was born in Pickaway county, about the beginning of the last century, and 
he was married in Fairfield county to Sarah Shaw, an incomer from Pennsyl- 
vania. After marriage this couple located in Pickaway county, where they 
reared five children, and of these four came to Hancock county for residence 
at different times. Among the latter was George J. Kelly, whose birth occurred 
m Pickaway county, Ohio, in January, 1823, and who remained in his native 
locality until about thirty years old. In April, 1842, he married Caroline Fel- 
lers, and eleven years later left Pickaway to seek a home in Hancock county. 
He located on eighty acres of land in Union township, v,hich embraced the 
present site of Rawson, and shortly after his arrival in 1852 this village was 
laid out. This made a demand for lots, and a considerable portion of George 
J. Kelly's purchase was thus disposed of. Subsecjuently he acquired additional 
land until his total holdings amount to two hundred and eighty acres, besides 
several houses and lots in Rawson. He suffered a loss of over seven thousand 
dollars by a destructive fire which swept over Rawson in 1887 and practically 
wiped the village from the map. Of the eight children born to Mr. and Mrs. 
George J. Kelly the six living are: Mrs. Jane Benedict, Luther C., John A., 
Mrs. Olive M. Zugschwert, Mrs. Mary A. Allion and Mrs. Ines A. Woods, 
Chester D., the deceased son, whose death occurred in 1894, was a lawyer of 
promise who resided at Kenton, where he served as prosecuting attorney for 
two terms. Li addition to his own children Mr. Kelly reared and educated 
Scott H. Kelly, his nephew, who is now practicing law at Toledo, Ohio. Mrs. 
Caroline Kelly passed away in 1898, and all accounts agree in representing her 
as a most affectionate wife and devoted mother. 

Luther C. Kelly, eldest of his father's sons, was born in Fairfield county, 
Ohio, November 10, 1847, and was consecj:uently four years old when his pa- 
rents came to this county. He was reared at Rawson, and after attending the 
common schools there went to Findlay for the purpose of fitting himself as a 
teacher by a course in the high school at that place. After finishing the edu- 
cation prescribed for him he taught school awhile in Jackson township, but 



12 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

soon abandoned this occupation to engage in mercantile pursuits. Securing a 
clerkship in an establishment at Ada, he remained there a year and then re- 
turned to Rawson to go into business with J. C. Benham. This partnership, 
after lasting a year or so, was dissolved with mutual consent and Mr. Kelly 
determined to make agriculture a permanent employment. With this in view 
he made his first real estate investment in 1875, consisting of forty acres of 
land in Union township, which he increased in 1880 by an addition of twenty- 
one acres, and by subsequent deed from his father his total holdings were 
brought up to an even one hundred acres. On this place he has since resided, 
cultivating his fertile fields after modern methods, raising good stock and 
otherwise leading the life of a well-to-do Ohio farmer. Aside from his own 
business his public service has consisted of two terms as township trustee and 
several terms as member of the school board, in whose educational work he has 
taken an especial interest. 

In 1868 Mr. Kelly was married to Sarah, daughter of W. C. and Mary A. 
Needles, by whom he had one child, Sarah Eva, now Mrs. M. A. Runkle. In 
1883 he contracted a second marriage with Magdalena M., daughter of David 
and Julia A. Stallsmith, and the children by this union are Jasper F., who 
married Bessie Reed, of Ottumwa, Iowa; Florence M., now Mrs. A. B. 
DeWese, Homer C, Julia A., Lucia E. and Zoda J. Mrs. Kelly, who is a 
native of Portage county, was a successful teacher in her earlier life and en- 
joyed a high reputation in the educational circles of Portage, Marion and 
Hancock counties. The Kellys were formerly members of the Methodist 
Protestant church, but that establishment not being regularly supplied with 
pastors the family joined the old Methodist church, in whose work they are 
actively interested. Mr. Kelly and his father have at different times held 
nearly every official position in the church except that of minister. Owing 
to their success in business, their exemplary lives and their value as citizens 
this family has long occupied a position of influence in the locality around 
Rawson. 

GEORGE CARROTHERS. 

As a veteran of the C\\\\ war, farmer and later a real estate dealer of 
enterprise and prominence, the subject of this sketch has made so creditable 
a record as to enjoy high standing in Findlay. He comes of Scotch-Irisii 
stock and at every crisis of his life has displayed the courage and persistence 
characteristic of that historic race. His grandfather, John Carrothers, was 
born in Scotland, w^ent from there to the North of Ireland and about the year 
1813 crossed the Atlantic to the United States, where he died when near his 




'>MJUi^i:^.Ji _ ^a-r^^-^Hi 






'zkry-^^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 13 

forty-fifth year. John Carrothers, son of the last mentioned, was born in 
North Ireland in 1807 and came to America with his parents in childhood, the 
vessel in which they sailed being wrecked and causing a loss of all the family 
belongings. They made their way to Guernsey county, Ohio, where the fa- 
ther of our subject grew up and later made his way to Crawford county, where 
he died in 1883. In 1833 he was married to Elizabeth Laird, by whom he 
had eight children. John. W., the eldest of these, was a non-commissioned 
officer in the First Regiment of Nebraska Volunteer Infantry and died some 
time after the war. Margaret E. and Robert are deceased; George was the 
fourth child, and James B., the next in order of birth, was a private in the 
One Hundred and Twenty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, from which he 
received an honorable discharge in 1863 for disability. William is dead and 
Dr. Moses M. served with the troops called out in 1864 to meet Morgan's raid. 
Mary J., the youngest child, has departed this life, as has also the mother, 
whose death occurred in 1891. George Carrothers was born in 1839 while 
his parents were living on their farm in Crawford county, Ohio, and he re- 
mained in that neighborhood until seventeen years of age. Having earned 
money enough to pay his own wa}-, lie entered Oberlin College and there 
obtained most of his literary education. In June, 1861, he enlisted in Company 
C, Seventh Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in Avhich he served as a 
private for three months and then veteranized in the same command for the 
three years' service. He took part with his regiment in the battles at Cross 
Lane, West Virginia, the first engagement at Winchester and the bloody 
struggle at Cedar Mountain, August 9, 1862. He was so badly wounded in the 
last mentioned battle as to necessitate his transference to a hospital, the one 
selected being Davids Island, New York. After confinement there until May, 
1863, he was honorably discharged from the service for serious disability and 
returned to his home in Crawford county, Ohio. For three years he was 
incapacitated for labor, but in 1867 engaged in the fire insurance business, 
which constituted his employment until 1869. On March 9 of that year he 
was married in Richland county, Ohio, to Lucina ]\I., daughter of Rev. 
Pliilo and Clarinda (Rogers) Blackman, by whom he has had five children: 
Clara E. ; Minnie M., wife of George B. Landis; Lulu D., wife of R. B. 
Myers; Georgia M., and James G. The family of Mrs. Carrothers is of 
ancient origin and many of its members have made creditable records both in 
civic and military life. Rev. Adam Blackman, the founder of the family in 
America, was born in England in 1598 and came to this country as far back 
as 1639. He settled in Stratford, Connecticut, where he organized the first 
Congregational church, of which he was pastor for twenty-five years, and 



14 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

died there in 1665. John Blackmail, one of his descendants, became the fa- 
ther of Ebenezer Blackman, the great-great-grandfather of Mrs. Carrothers. 
Her great-grandfather was Enoch Blackman, who served at different times in 
the Revolutionary army, his last enlistment being August i, 1780, and his dis- 
charge December 9, in the same year. Rev. Fhilo Blackman, father of Mrs. 
Carrothers, served as a private in the Fifteenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer 
Infantry, and died in 1877. The mother of Mrs. Carrothers was born at 
Wilkesbarre, Pennsylvania, and died at Columbus Grove, Ohio, when eighty- 
one years of age. 

After his marriage, Mr. Carrothers located on a farm in Crawford 
county, which he cultivated until 1882, ^vhen he came to Findlay, where he 
has since made his home. He engaged in the real estate business, which 
by good judgment and energy he has made quite remunerative. From 1887 
until the fall of 1902 he was extensively engaged in the oil and gas business. 
He was one of the first men to engage in these industries in this district and 
in the main was successful. He has been a director of the American National 
Bank of Findlay ever since its founding. He increased the corporate limits 
of Findlay by an addition called after his name, containing eighty-four lots, 
and has erected forty houses on this land. He lias been an active figure in 
the business affairs and industrial development of Findlay and served one 
term as gas trustee of the city. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
church, Republican in politics and belongs to Henry Lincoln Post, No. 343, 
Grand Army of the Republic, at Oberlin, Oliio. 

GEORGE M. STOKER. 

With the industrial interests of jMcComb this gentleman is closely as- 
sociated, being a member of the firm of Stoker Brothers, owners of the planing 
mill. He is a young man of enterprise and business capability and in his un- 
dertakings is meeting with desirable and well merited success. 

Mr. Stoker is a native of Hancock county, his birth having occurred in 
Allen township, upon his father's farm, in the year 1866. He is a son of T. A. 
Stoker, a well known agriculturist of this community. He remained upon the 
old homestead until fourteen years of age, during which time he pursued his 
education in the public schools of the neighborhood, and through the summer 
months and in the periods of vacation he worked in field and meadow, assist- 
ing in the cultivation of the farm, but believing that another pursuit would 
prove more congenial, when fourteen years of age he began learning the 
carpenter's trade, which he followed continuously until 1897. He became a 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 15 

proficient workman and ex'idences of his skill are seen in many substantial 
buildings of the county. In 1897 he joined his brother in the establishment of 
a planing- mill business in McComb, and in the new enterprise they prospered, 
their business assuming large and projfitable proportions. The Stoker 
Brothers are now manufacturing the Little Star grain separator for the com- 
pany of which they are now members, and of which company George AI. 
Stoker is the manager. 

In the year 1888 ]\Ir. Stoker was united in marriage to ]\Iiss Lily Stout; 
and they have one son, Fred. Mr. Stoker is a prominent Odd Fellow, belong- 
ing to both the lodge and the encampment, and in the former he has filled all of 
the chairs. He is now serving as treasurer of the town, being elected on the 
Republican ticket by a majority of ninety-five, although the usual majority is 
about thirty, — the increased vote indicating his personal popularity and the 
confidence and trust reposed in him by his fellow townsmen, who recognize 
his capability and his loyalty in citizenship. 

WILLIAM H. PEPPLE. 

The carpenter, always one of the most important characters in any com- 
munity, was especially so before the custom of using stone and metals came 
so much in vogue. In fact during the pioneer period the carpenter was indis- 
pensable — there could be no industrial growth without him. One of the old- 
est, it is also one of the most useful of all the mechanical callings, and usually 
this trade is regarded in rural neighborhoods as the A^ery embodiment of in- 
dustry and good citizenship. Mr. Pepple, whose memoir it is now a pleasant 
duty to set before the readers of this volume, is a typical mechanic of the kind 
above alluded to. He has been following carpentering in Jackson township 
for nearly thirty years, and during that time has done a large amount of work 
in the line of his trade. In fact monuments to his skill are scattered around 
abundantly in the shape of scores of barns, all of which owe their erection to 
Mr, Pepple, and it is only necessary to examine them cursorily to find that they 
were put up by a first-class workman. 

William H, Pepple was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, in 1849, but only 
three years of his life were passed in the place of his nativity. In 1852 his pa- 
rents, Jesse and Mary (Tipple) Pepple, removed to Hancock county, located 
on a farm in Jackson township and lived there until 1870. In that year they 
went to ^Michigan and purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres of 
valuable land, which they occupied and cultivated until both Avere claimed by 
death. William H. Pepple remained with his parents in ^Michigan until 1875, 



i6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

meantime beginning to learn his trade as carpenter and completed his ap- 
prenticeship after returning- to Hancock county. He gradually developed into 
a mechanic of the best class, and as he got plenty of business to do was re- 
warded with a fair measure of this world's goods as proof of his industry and 
saving disposition. At the present time one may count in Jackson and sur- 
rounding townships one hundred and eighty-two barns, all of which were 
constructed by Mr. Pepple, to say nothing of many minor jobs turned out by 
him at different times. While doing well for himself he has done well for his 
community, of which he has long been considered a leading carpenter. 

In 1 87 1 Mr. Pepple was united in marriage with Miss Mary J., daughter 
of James and Elizabeth Jacobs of .Marion township, and they have had six 
children, Martha, Mary, Jesse, Gertrude, Flora and James. At the present 
time Mr. Pepple owns and resides upon a farm of fifty acres, which makes a 
comfortable home for himself and family and a pleasant visiting place for his 
many friends. 

LEWIS S. DUKES. 

Throughout a long period Lewis .S. Dukes has been a prominent figure 
in the annals of Hancock county, and has aided materially in its progress and 
development. By a life of uprightness, industry and honorable dealing — a 
life devoted to the support of whatever is good and true — he has won the 
genuine regard of a large circle of friends. He traces his ancestry back to 
the Old Dominion state, for in that commonwealth his father was born, but 
as early as the '30s he removed from Franklin county, Ohio, to Hancock 
county, Ohio, where he entered a large tract of land in Union township. As 
the years passed by he was enabled by his industry and excellent manage- 
ment to add to this tract nn.til he became the owner of about one thousand 
acres. He was an excellent business man, a successful farmer and a man 
whose influence for good was felt far and wide in his township. He was 
twice married, first to a Miss Downing, by whom he had three children, two 
of whoni are now living, George and William. For his second wife he chose 
Sarah Smith, by whom he had four children, and the two no^^' living are 
Ivlrs. Mary Greeen and Lewis S. Nicholas Dukes was a consistent member of 
the Methodist Episcopal church, and in that faith he passed away in death in 
1850, but he is still survived by his widow. 

Lewis S. Dukes, whose name introduces this review, was born in Union 
township, Hancock county, on the farm on which he now resides, on the 6th 
of January. 1848. When about seven years of age he was taken by his 
mother to Pennsylvania, "vvhere she was a second tune married, and in that 




MRS. LEWIS S. DUKES. 




^?AA.n^ JO^ jQ-uyflui 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 17 

commonwealth Lewis S. received his early education. Remaining in the 
Keystone state until arriving at his majority, he returned then to the town- 
ship of his nativity, where he has ever since devoted his time and energies to 
farming and stock-raising on an extensive scale. His landed possessions 
consist of three hundred and sixty acres of fertile and productive land, eighty 
acres of which are located in Putnam county, while the remainder lies in 
Union township, Hancock county. He is also the vice president and a director 
in the First National Bank of Bluffton, and his business interests are varied 
and extensive. 

For his wife Mr. Dukes chose Miss Mary L., the daughter of 
John Weltner, their wedding having been celebrated in 1877. Unto this union 
were born six children, as follows : Elfa E., Grace A:, Ruth E., Lulu R. 
(deceased), Lela M. and Lewis W. The mother of these children was born 
in Pennsylvania in 1856, and on the 4th of July, 1898, she was summoned 
to the home beyond, aged forty-two years, nine months and twenty-two days. 
Llaving been a resident of the Buckeye state since pioneer days, Mr. Dukes 
has watched with interest through the passing years its development and 
progress, and has borne his part in its substantial upbuilding. He is known 
as one of its reliable and progressive citizens and a man whose example is 
well worthy of emulation. In politics Mr. Dukes has been a life-long Re- 
publican. 

ERWIN E. EWING. 

Few men are better known in Hancock county than he whose name is 
given above, as he was long prominently identified with the political manage- 
ment of the county. As deputy sheriff for several years under different prin- 
cipals and later as incumbent of the sheriff's office for two terms, he became ac- 
quainted with nearly everybody in the county. Since his retirement from office, 
his connection with the oil industry has enlarged his acquaintance m business 
circles, where he enjoys good standing as an enterprising producer. His 
grandfather, Jacob Ewing, was a Pennsylvanian who settled in Ohio in early 
manhood, and ended his days in this state. The latter's son and namesake, 
and father of our subject, was born in Ashland county, Ohio, in 1836. Ten 
years later he came to Hancock county, engaged in farming and followed that 
pursuit until the time of his death, which occurred in 1878. 

Erwin E. Ewing was born on a farm in Liberty township, Hancock 
county, July 6, 1862, and spent the first five years of his life at the place of his 
nativity. About the expiration of that time, his parents removed to a farm 
in Pleasant township, where he grew up and received his education in the 



1 8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

country schools. After reaching manhood he took some interest in pohtics, 
worked for his party during campaigns and thus attracted the attention of 
the leaders. In 1890 he received the appointment as deputy under Sheriff 
George L. Cusac, and served acceptably in this position for two years. 
When Sheriff J. T. Barton took office, he too tendered a deputyship to Mr. 
Ewing, who accepted and served under that official for one year. His satis- 
factory service as deputy advertised him so favorably to the rank and file of 
his party, that he was urged for the main office by his many friends, and in 
1896 received the nomination as the Republican candidate for sheriff. At 
the ensuing election he was triumphant, and served his first term so satisfac- 
torily that in 1898 he was honored by renomination and reelection. After 
retiring from the shrievalty, Mr. Ewing engaged in the oil producing busi- 
ness, and this is his present occupation. Mr. Ewing is not connected with any 
of the religious denominations, but shows fondness for the fraternities, en- 
joying the associations afforded by the various orders. He holds membership 
in the Knights Templar, Lodge No. 400, Knights of Pythias, the Independ- 
ent Order of Odd Fellows and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, 
No. 75. In his fraternal, social and political relations, Mr. Ewing has culti- 
vated many friendships, which are as grateful to himself as agreeable to those 
who know and esteem him. 

JOSEPH R. KAGY. 

To give the causes of success or failure, to describe minutely the character 
and disposition of a man, is beyond the limits of a work of this nature ; all that 
can be done is to afford a bare outline of the outward facts and allow the 
world to judge the inner nature of the individual. In the case of the subject 
of this sketch there can be no doubt as to his peculiar fitness for the duties that 
have been assigned him in public life nor that he has well deserved the success 
he has won. 

Joseph R. Kagy dates his birth as occurring in Fairfield county, Ohio, on 
the 2ist day of December, 1842, and he came five years later to Hancock 
county with his parents, who located on a farm near Van Buren, where his 
boyhood days were passed. Here he attended the district schools until he was 
eighteen and then entered the high school at Findlay, where he prepared him- 
self for the profession of teaching. He began teaching at the age of nineteen 
and was engaged in this in the winter and in farming in the summer up to 
1877, for nine years of this time having charge of the schools at Van Buren. 

While residing in Van Buren, Allen township, Mr. Kagy had served as 




/I 



(yyf^yxj^^^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL LIISTORY 19 

township clerk for two terms, as township assessor two terms, and as town- 
ship treasurer for about seven years. He was holding this last named office, 
when in 1877 he was elected auditor of Hancock county. He was reelected 
m 1880, serving for six years, then for eighteen months was deputy auditor 
and in 1885 was elected to the city council. Mr. Kagy served as member of the 
board of county .school examiners from 1871 to 1877— and as mayor of the 
city of Findlay to fill out the unexpired term of W. L. Carlin, who resigned 
to take his seat in the Ohio state senate. During the period from 1886 to 
J 889 he engaged in the oil and gas business at Findlay. January, 1890, 
found him one of the assistant clerks of the senate, and in the spring of 
that year he became deputy state superintendent of insurance under W. H. 
Kinder. For two years he carried on a real estate business at Findlay; and 
from 1895 to 1898 he served as roll clerk in the pension department at 
Columbus, Ohio, under General A. V. Rice. Since this time Mr. Kagy has 
successfully conducted a real estate and insurance business. In the fall of 
1 90 1 he was candidate on the Democratic ticket for state senator from his 
district, but failed of election. 

On January 21, 1864, at Van Buren, Mr. Kagy became the l.aisband of 
Catharine M., daughter of John Zarbaugh, and six .children were born to 
them, of whom two died in infancy and one after arriving at maturity. Those 
living are Nora B. ; Mary E., the wife of Dr. E. B. Jacobs, of Chicago; and 
David D., who is a teacher in the Findlay public schools. Mr. Kagy is an hon- 
ored member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Elks. He 
holds a highly respected place in society as a result of his long and successful 
career as farmer, teacher, public spirited citizen and office holder. 

JAMES W. KIRKBRIDE. 

James W. Kirkbride, who has been identified Avith the oil producing dis- 
tricts of New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio for many years, was born in Og- 
densburg, New York, November 22, 1854, and is a son of Joseph and Sar^.i 
(Nugent) Kirkbride. Joseph Kirkbride was born in Northumberland, 
County of Claire, England, December 6, 1821, and came with his father to 
America in 1833. The father of our subject has been indirectly associated with 
production of oil since 1863. Sarah Nugent Kirkbride died in i860, leaving a 
family of seven children— four girls and three boys, of which James W. is the 
second son. 

James W. Kirkbride grew to the age of thirteeen years in his native 
place, and at that time accompanied his father's family on their removal to 



20 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Tidioiite, Warren county, Pennsylvania, where he continued to attend school 
for several years. He began his business with his father, whom he assisted 
in the contracting and building of oil derricks and tanks, following this for 
about four years, when he removed to Parker, in x\rmstrong county, Penn- 
sylvania. His connection with the oil industry dates from early manhood, 
his thorough and systematic study of the Butler and Armstrong county fields 
being of untold value to him in later years. The development of a new field 
near Bolivar, Alleghany county, New York, called Mr. Kirkbride to that 
place in 1880, where he remained until the Ohio field was opened in 1886, 
then moving to his present home at Findlay. In 1887 he embarked in the 
wholesale and retail lumber business and until 1892 carried this on in connec- 
tion with his large oil interests, since that time devoting his time to the latter. 
November 15, 1894, he, in connection with a brother, drilled in the largest 
oil well that had ever been found in this country and from which the Kirkbride 
Brothers derived enormous dividends and not a little fame. Mr. Kirkbride 
is one of the largest independent producers of oil in the country, his produc- 
ing wells and leases lying in many counties. He also has extensive mining 
interests at Joplin, Missouri. 

Since locating in Findlay he has become interested in various financial 
enterprises and is one of the directors of the Farmers' National Bank. In 
politics he is a Republican, but his attention to business has obliged him to 
refuse many flattering offers in politics, as he has also been obliged to decline 
many positions of trust in the world of business. 

In 1877 Mr. Kirkbride was married in Parker, Pennsylvania, to Amy 
C. Carson, who is the daughter of George W. Carson, and they have three 
children, namely : Charles W., Amy G. and Harry C. Mr. Kirkbride is a lead- 
ing member of the Howard Methodist church, to which lie is a liberal con- 
tributor. As a business man he is regarded with confidence and respect, while 
he has a wide circle of friends through the community who esteem him highly. 

JOHN N. DOTY. 

The gentleman above mentioned, who is at present a leading member 
of the Findlay bar. has served his fellow men in the triple capacity of teacher, 
farmer and lawyer. Nor is it at all in the nature of flattery to say that he 
has made a marked success in each one of these callings, having first been a 
good teacher, later a good lawyer and still later an agriculturist of the pro- 
gressive school. His family originated in Maryland and the Ohio branch 
was founded by Henry Doty, who came to the state early in the nineteenth 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 21 

century, located in Fairfield comity and li\ed there until his death in 1873. 
Though advanced in years at the outbreak of the Civil war, he was especially 
enthusiastic in support of the Union cause, and did all he could to uphold the 
government and assist the soldiers in the field. His son, William Doty, was 
born in Fairfield county in 1825, removed to Flancock county in his seven- 
teenth year and was identified with its agricultural interests for more than 
half a century. He was a man of vigorous understanding, noted for the 
uprightness of his character, and when on September 10, 1900, his long and 
blameless life came to a close, it was the general remark that Hancock county 
had lost one of its most esteemed citizens. In 1847 William Doty was mar- 
ried to Mary A., daughter of Levi Sampson, and a member of an old Mary- 
land family, who came with her parents to Hancock county when a child 
eight years old. After becoming the mother of eight children, of whom seven 
are living, Mrs. Doty ended her earthly career February 4, 1894, and was fol- 
lowed to the grave by a large concourse who mourned her sincerely as a true 
"mother in Israel." 

John N. Doty, one of the seven surviving chikh-en of William and Mary 
(Sampson) Doty, was born on his father's farm in Jackson township, Han- 
cock county, Ohio, April 19, 1858. Having a natural turn for books and 
being an apt pupil, he received more benefits from his attendance in the coun- 
try schools than falls to the lot of the average boy. This is demonstrated by 
the fact that he had hardly ceased to be a student until he became a teacher, 
being licensed for that calling at the unusually early age of fifteen years. Boy 
as he was, however, he succeeded in convincing even his own neighbors that 
he Vv^as able to teach their children something, his first rather daring venture 
as a pedagogue being made in his native district. This success was followed 
by others and during his six years' tenure of the home school the young teacher 
grew in popularity while adding to his own mental culture and training as 
an educator. This novitiate, as it may be termed, was followed by a year's 
attendance in the Normal School at Lebanon, after which he entered college 
at Adrian, Michigan, and finished the literary course in 1881. Not content 
with the equipment thus gained but anxious to qualify himself thoroughly, 
Mr. Doty returned some years later to his alma mater at Adrian and added to 
his store of learning by taking a post graduate course. Shortly after leaving 
school, he located at Findlay and in 1882 was appointed school examiner of 
Hancock county, in which position he served two three-year terms with en- 
tire acceptability to all concerned. After leaving the office of examiner, Mr. 
Doty became one of the teachers in the Findlay high school, and continued 
in that occupation until his admission to the bar in June, 1887. With that 



22 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

e\er.t his career as a teacher ended and that of a lawyer began, with the re- 
sult that during his practice of about fifteen years Mr. Doty has established 
himself as one of the leading men of the profession in his native county. Bur, 
aside from his business as an attorney, Mr. Doty is largely interested in 
agriculture, and during the last fifteen years has managed his own farm, 
which consists of about three hundred acres of excellent land near Findlay. 
December 29, 1881, occurred the marriage of John N. Doty and Bertha 
E., daughter of James and Mary A. (Ewing) Huston, all of Findlay, Ohio. 
Euclid DeLoss Doty, the only son by this union, is now in his closing high 
school year. Miss Maud Ethel Doty, the only daughter, died January 6, 
1902, at the age of fourteen years and four months. Mr. Doty's religious 
affiliations are with the Methodist Episcopal church and he contributed one 
thousand dollars toward the building of the new house of worship of this 
denomination at Findlay. His fraternal connections are confined to mem- 
bership in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and he is past chief patriarch 
of the encampment. 

JOEL ECKELS. 

A worthy representative of the modern methods of farming prevalent in 
Hancock county is here presented to the readers of this volume. He lives in 
Cass township, where he cultivates a farm of ninety acres. He is the grand- 
son of William Eckels, one of the first pioneers of this county, wd^.o took up 
government land m 1833 under President "Hickory" Jackson, the tract being 
two hundred and forty acres in extent. Eighty acres of this tract had fallen 
to Charles Eckels, a son of AVilliam, which our subject now owns. William 
Eckels finally sold out his one hundred and sixty acres, and removed to the 
state of Wisconsin. He was an excellent farmer and an upright man in all 
his dealings v/ith his neighbors. He held the office of justice of the peace for 
many years in Hancock county. Fie was a strong churchman, lent his in- 
fluence to the establishment of Methodism in the new country, and his home 
was always open to the itinerant preachers of that denomination, whom he 
delighted to honor. His death occurred in 1866 and Isabella, his wife, died 
■.l'..n-i)ig the previous year. They had ten children, and of this number one 
daughter is still living. Her twin brother, Irvin, was a captain in the Civil 
war and suffered death at the battle of River's Bridge in South Carolina, in the 
last months of the war. His company was a part of the Thirty-second Regi- 
ment, Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. 

Charles Eckels was the son of the original pioneer and the father of Joel. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 23 

His birth occurred in Pennsylvania in 1810 and came to Hancock county with 
his parents in 1833. He was a citizen of good repute, and hke his father be- 
fore him a pillar in the Methodist Episcopal church. He held the office of as- 
sessor of Cass township for a number of years, and was also elected to other 
of the minor offices. He was interested in the public life of the community, 
iiud for a number of years was captain of a rifle company that had quite a 
reputation in Hancock county. He was a practical farmer and useful man in 
the commuity, whose hand was always outstretched to do good. He married 
Magdeline Karn, a native of Maryland, by whom he had eight children, two 
of whom now reside in the county. Charles Eckels, after a life of usefulness, 
died in 1852 and his wife passed away in 1877. 

Joel Eckels is a native of Hancock county, born on the farm which he 
now cultivates, March 22, 1837. He received his education in the common 
schools of his district, and passed his boyhood in the active work of those pio- 
neer days. In his younger years he learned the blacksmith trade, serving his 
time at Fostoria and doing journeyman work for four years at Findlay. He 
worked twenty-five years at the anvil, during which time he established the 
reputation of being one of the best horse shoers and w^orkers in iron in the 
county. 

No event of special importance occurred in the early life of Joel Eckels 
to vary the usual routine, but after the inauguration of the Civil war all was 
changed and the patriotic spirit of the young man was aroused. He became 
one of the boys in blue w^ho went to the front in defense of "Old Glory." He 
enlisted as a member of Company F, Twenty-first Regiment, Ohio Volunteer 
Infantry, for the three months' service, expecting as a great number of the 
soldiers did at the inception of the Civil war, that it would only take a short 
period to suppress the rebellion. On his being honorably discharged from 
that first service, he again enlisted, this time as a member of Company K, 
One Hundred and Eighteenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for "three 
years or the w-ar." He saw much active service, following the flag through 
many of the most important battles of the war in the middle west. He was at 
Alossy Creek, Resaca, Kennesaw Mountain, Nashville, Franklin, on the At- 
lanta campaign and in many of the lighter skirmishes. Soon after his enlist- 
ment he was made first sergeant of his company, and in February, 1864, was 
commissioned second lieutenant for meritorious service on the field, and the 
following year w^as advanced to the rank of a first lieutenancy. He received 
his discharge at the close of the war and returned home with an honorable 
record as a defender of the Union. He had proved himself a true and brave 
soldier, and a good and true friend to his men, among whom he was an ex- 



24 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

ceedingly popular officer. Air. Eckels passed through the service without 
liarm, with exception of the battle of Ft. Anderson, where he received a slight 
wound from a piece of shell. Tw^o of his brothers also served in the Union 
army. Valentine Eckels was a member of the Fifty-seventh Regiment, Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry. He was a sergeant and honorably discharged on account 
of disability. John Eckels was a member of Company G, One Hundred and 
Eighteenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was advanced to the rank 
of sergeant for bravery on the field, and was subsequently commissioned 
second lieutenant of his company. He died while in the service of his country 
near Kennesaw Mountain in 1864. 

November 13, 1867, Joel Eckels celebrated his marriage to Miss Deborah 
J., daughter of Llewellyn and Martha Biggs, and their union resulted in the 
birth of six children: Charles L., Cora V., deceased, Anna B., Martha E., 
Maggie D., and Clara B. Mrs. Eckels w^as born in Westmoreland county, 
Pennsylvania, April i, 1834. 

The military record of the Biggs family is as remarkable and as honor- 
able as that of -the Eckels, four of Mrs. Eckels's brothers giving gallant serv- 
ice during the war, their names being Samuel, Mathew, Weslc}" and James, 
Samuel w^as a captain. His death occurred August 22, 1900. James w^as a 
sergeant in the Fifty-seventh regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, the same 
in which Valentine Eckels was a sergeant. Mathew and Wesley w^ere pri- 
vate soldiers, all gallant men and fought as heroes for the integrity of their 
country's flag. 

Joel Eckels is a member of Urie Post, G. A. R., No. no, of Bloomdale. 
He stands well in the community, and has filled some of the minor township 
offices, such as assessor, constable and supervisor. He enjoys the full confi- 
dence of his fellow citizens, and well deserves representation in this volume. 

JUSTUS CHASE. 

After a long and laborious life, characterized by the trials and troubles, 
good and ill fortune which beset all humanity in its struggle for betterment, 
the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch has retired from active busi- 
ness and is spending the evening of his days in repose at Eindlay. It has not 
been an adventurous life, nor have its different periods been marked by either 
the romantic or the heroic. Just the plain life of an industrious agriculturist, 
and such as falls to the lot of most of those engaged in wresting a living from 
the bosom of Mother Earth, has been that of Justus Chase. He is a native of 
New York state and was born in 181 7 on a farm in Saratoga county, near 




i^..^a^ . ^^6^ 




AM>i/U^ 



UA^tU^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 2s 

Amsterdam. When he was six months old his parents started in a \vag(D!i 
for Ohio, and all who have read the history of the early settlement of the 
west will understand that this was not a pleasure trip. A jolting ride over 
bad roads or no roads, all the way from central New York to the then unde- 
veloped regions of Ohio, w^as hardly such as would be recommended to in- 
valids or weaklings of any kind as a means of restoring health. But the little 
part}', consisting of father and mother and fretful bal)y, e\'entually got across 
tlie mountains and plains lying between and drew up in ^Madison county, 
Ohio, wdiich had been selected as their location. It not proving satisfactory 
for some reason, the Chases resumed their wanderings after a stay of twO' 
years and next took up their residence at Little Sandusky, in the county of 
Wyandotte. They lived there several years and then decided to retrace their 
steps to the old home in New York, thus illustrating tlie proverb that a ■'rolling 
stone gathers no moss." Again the emigration fever set in, and again ]\Ir. 
and Mrs. Chase, with the baby and weary team, were on the road, this time 
headed for Niagara Falls, New York, in the vicinity of which great cataract 
they settled on a farm and endeavored for two years to extract a living from 
ihe same. At the end of that period a consultation was held and a decision 
arrived at to agam try their fortunes at Little Sandusky, to which place they 
accordingly returned and there lived for the usual space of two years. Still 
another move, however, was to be made and this proved the tinal one, which 
gave the turn to the whole future life of our subject. In 183 1 his parents 
settled permanently in Liberty township, B.ancock county, wdiere fortune at 
last smiled upon them and v^diere they lived in peace until the end of their 
earthly career. 

At the time his parents finally "came to anchor," as the sailors would 
say, Justus Chase had about completed the fourteenth year of his age, and the 
succeeding sixty-four years and seven months were spent on this Hancock 
farm. This long period was unbroken by any special incident, being devoted 
to agricultural affairs, in all the details and ramifications of which J\lr. Chase 
became very proficient and accumulated a fair share of this world's goods. 
In 1895 he retired from active business and located at Findlay for that rest 
and repose with which every wise man desires to spend the evening of his 
earthly existence. Mr. Chase has been three times married, the first time in 
1839 to Mary A. Jones, with whom he lived for fifty years, and who died in 
1889, leaving five survivors of her eleven children. The second wife was 
Mrs. Sarah Williams, whose maiden name was Howard, but this lady only 
survived her marriage a year or two and died without issue. In 1895 Mr. 
Chase was united in marriage with Mrs. Anna (Frew) Eckles, who is at 



26 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

present sharing with him the quiet home hfe at Findlay. ^Ir. Chase has long 
heen connected with the Methodist Episcopal church, but his wife is a Pres- 
byterian in her religious faith. The first presidential vote of Air. Chase 
was cast for William Hem-y Harrison after the exciting "log cabin and coon 
sKin" campaign of 1840. From the Whigs he naturally gravitated into the 
Republican movement and has \oted steadily with that party from Fremont 
m 1856 to McKinley in 1900. The only one of the great fraternities to wdiich 
he belongs is that of the Masons. He is a member of Findlay Lodge, No. 
22-j, A. F.. & A. M., which he joined thirty years ago. As a farmer, as u 
Mason, as a neighbor and as a good all-around citizen Justus Chase has always 
■done his duty to his fellow man and to his country. 

JOHN H. LINHART. 

One of the most valuable farms in Hancock county, not only for agri- 
cultural purposes, but in the line of oil producers, is that owned by the sub- 
ject of this review. It is situated in Cass township, and on it are sixteen pro- 
ducing wells. The subject of this biography is a son of Jacob and Martha 
(Homing) Linhart, both of whom were natives of Westmoreland county, 
Pennsylvania, and born about the year 1808. They passed almost the entire 
period of their lives in the county of their nativity, where they were suc- 
cessful and prosperous farmers. In the last year of the great Civil war they 
removed to Hancock county, where they purchased two hundred and sev- 
enteen acres of land, to which they added at various times, and at their death 
the estate consisted of three hundred and seventy-seven acres. Jacob Lin- 
hart attended strictly to his own business, and succeeded in paving the w'ay 
for his descendants, who have taken up the reins where he laid them down. 
He gave adherence to the Lutheran faith, and was a liberal contributor to 
the church. He died in 1872, his wife outliving him by two decades, and their 
family numbered seven children, five of whom are living. 

John H. Linhart was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, in 
1844, and passed his boyhood on the farm, no event of special importance 
occurring to break the monotony of his existence. He acquired the ordinary 
branches of education in the common schools of his district. He has always 
confined himself to agricultural pursuits, and upon arriving at maturity 
purchased one hundred acres of land. He is a practical farmer and a worthy 
citizen. He stands well in tlie community, where he has held the ofiice of 
supervisor for some time. He, like his father before him, is a member of 
the Lutheran church, as is also Mrs. Linhart. This lady he married in 1867, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 27 

her maiden name having been Hannah Starm. Her parents, Samuel and 
Ehzabeth C. Starm, came to the county about 1856 from Wayne county, Ohio, 
and settled in Madison township on a farm of eighty acres. They later 
removed to Fostoria, where Mr. Starm pursued his early trade, that of car- 
pentry, for a number of years, and where he died in 1892. Mrs. Starm is also 
deceased, having passed to her rest in the year 1900. They reared a family of 
eight children, four of whom are living. Mr. and Mrs. Linhart have five 
children : Martha E., Jacob A., Nellie M., Harvey S., and Curtis C. 

Jacob A. Linhart, the eldest son, now one of the progressive young 
farmers of the county, was born in Cass township, December 26, 1871. Be- 
mg reared on the farm, he early became familiar with the labors of the field 
and meadow and assisted in the general work. He passed his boyhood days 
uneventfully, and in the common schools of his district acquired his ele- 
mentary education. Arriving at manhood, he chose for a companion on life's 
journey a ver}^ estimable lady and a member of one of the most progressive 
and respected families in the county, the record of which will be found 
elsewhere in this volume. Her maiden name was Arnolda M. Overholt, 
she being the daughter of J. S. and ]Maria Overholt. Her marriage to Mr. 
Linhart occurred August 17, 1893, and to this happy union have been born 
two children, Le Roy, born August 26, 1894, and John S., bom May 14, 
1896. Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Linhart are worthy members of the Lutheran 
church. 

RICHARD W. BOYD. 

Richard W. Boyd is now living a retired life in Findlay. He has passed 
the eightieth milestone on life's journey and receives the veneration and re- 
spect wdiich should ever be accorded to one in advanced years. He was born 
in Washington county, Pennsylvania, July 19, 1822. His father, Thomas 
Boyd, was also a native of the same county, while his grandfather, David 
Boyd, was likewise born in the Keystone state. The father of the last named 
was killed by the Lidians when David was a mere child, and he was carried 
off and held a prisoner for three years. When the country became invoh'ed 
in war with England, wishing to become an independent nation, David Boyd 
entered the American army and valiantly fought for the cause of liberty. 
Thomas Boyd was reared and educated in his native state and after arriving 
at years of maturity he wedded Mary Scott, by whom he had eight children, 
two of whom are yet living: Joseph H., a resident of Ashland, Ohio, now 
ninety-three years of age; and the subject of this review. 



28 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Richard W. Boyd spent the days of his boyhood and youth under the 
parental roof in Pennsylvania, there remaining until he was twenty-five years 
of age, when he came to Ohio, settling in Ashland county, where he engaged 
in farming for two years. On the expiration of that period he removed to 
Mansfield, Ohio, where he lived for two years and during that time engaged 
in executing a contract to furnish ties for four miles of the Pittsburg & Fort 
Wayne Railroad. In 1851 he came to Liberty township, Hancock county, 
Ohio, and here again turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, success- 
fully conducting his farm until 1887, when oil was found upon his land, and 
there are now about forty wells upon his place. These return to him a good 
royalty and since the disco\'ery of oil and the sinking of the wells he has 
practically lived retired. In 1900 he took up his abode in Findlay, where he 
is now living in the enjoyment of a well merited rest. 

In 1853 Mr. Boyd was united in marriage to Almira, a daughter of 
lacob Ewing, and this union has been blessed with nine children, four of 
whom are yet living, as follows: Mary M., the wife of Eli Reed; Thomas 
C. ; Etta R., the wife of John B. Heimhofer; and Jennie, the wife of Parlee 
Mitchell. 

Mr. Boyd has ever been a loyal, public spirited citizen and at the time 
of the Mexican war he volunteered his services, but the troops were not 
needed and he never went into action. He has served for four years as 
justice of the peace in Liberty township, discharging his duties with fairness 
and capability. He belongs to the Presbyterian church and his life has 
been an upright and honorable one, winning for him the commendation of all 
concerned. 

HON. CHARLES BRIGHT. 

The world instinctively pays deference to the man whose success has 
been worthily achieved, and who has acquired a high reputation in his chosen 
calling, and whose prominence is not the less the result of an irreproachable life 
than of recognized natural gifts. It is a pleasing duty to write the biography of 
a man of this character, such as the Hon. Charles Bright is knovvn to be. This 
gentleman is a well known and influential farmer of Marion towaiship, Han- 
cock county, Ohio, residing on a farm of three hundred and fifty-three acres, 
containing both gas and oil. Mr. Bright is not only an extensive farmer, 
but is a well informed and successful business man. He was born near the 
town of Lancaster, in Fairfield county, Ohio, on the 28th of December, 1835, 
and is the son of David and Leahr (Arnold) Bright. David Bright, the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 29 

paternal grandfather was born in Berks county Pennsylvania, and came in 
iSoo to what is now the state of Ohio, setthng near Lancaster, where he 
died. Charles Bright received a common school education, which was greatly 
enlarged by subsequent study. Being of an observant and inquiring dispo- 
sition and a great lover of books, he has added to his stock of knowledge until 
he is now looked upon as a very well read man. His life has been an active 
and eventful one. In the dark days of the Re1:)el1ion, in the full power of his 
manhood, he gave himself a willing sacrifice on the altar of his country. He 
enrolled as a private soldier in Company F, of the Seventeenth Regiment, 
Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which was assigned to the First Brigade, Second 
Division, F'ourteeenth Army Corps. Immediately after his enlistment he was 
made corporal of his company, and the following }ear was promoted to ser- 
geant for meritorious service on the field. He participated in the following 
battles: Wild Cat Mountain (Kentucky), Corinth, Hoover's Gap, Chicka- 
mauga, jNIission Ridge, Buzzard's Roost, Resaca, the siege of Atlanta, Peach 
Tree Creek, Burnt Hickory and Jonesboro, besides other battles of minor im- 
portance. During the three years of his army life he had shown himself 
worthy of the great nation of which he was a citizen and the great cause lie 
represented and helped to carry through to a successful issue. He had during 
this time many narrow escapes. The exposures he endured brought on rheu- 
matism, but he is now receiving a recompense for this, which is richly de- 
served. He was honorably discharged with the rank of sergeant at Atlanta, 
Georgia, on the 22d of October, 1864. Returning to his home, he on the 24th 
of September, 1866, was happily married to Miss Katherine A., the daughter 
of John and Eliza Carnes, of Fairfield county, Ohio. The union has been 
blessed with two sons and a daughter, whose names are John C, born June 12, 
1869; David R., born August 3, 1873, and Effie E. E., born August 2, 1876, 
now Mrs. Curtis M. Wiseley. 

in 1867 Mr. Bright removed to Hancock county, Ohio, where he located 
on his present farm, containing one h.undred and fifty-seven acres at that time, 
to which he has added at various times two other farms, making in all 
tliree hundred and fifty-rhree acres. In public life Mr. Bright has always 
been willing to do his share of the work of his immediate community. He 
has served as supervisor for several years at various periods. He has also 
served as trustee of the township, and at other periods has held the offices 
of treasurer and land appraiser, which he has filled with exceptional ability 
and to the entire satisfaction of his fellow^ citizens. 

In 1893 1"*^ ^^'^^ elected a member of the seventy-first general assembly of the 
state of Ohio from Hancock county. This was in recognition of effective 



30 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

service rendered his party during his long residence in the county, he having 
ahvays been ready to do anything that would advance the principles which lie 
values so much. His majority over his competitor, who was a very popular 
gentleman by the name of Moses McAnnelly and a Democrat of the strongest 
type, was four hundred and eighty-six. the liighest majority ever given a Re- 
publican for the office of representative in Hancock county up to that date. 
Mr. Bright has connected himself with Stoker Post, Grand Army of the Re- 
public at Findlay, and takes delight in furthering the interest of the old sol- 
diers, of whom he is a worthy and honored representative. 

It is a pleasure to show our appreciation of such a man as Mr. Bright, 
who in every relation of life has been faithful to e\'ery trust, a statesman dili- 
gent in the service of his country and keeping before him only the public 



CHARLES A. STOCKTON. 

The well known pension agent of this name at Findlay is entitled to rep- 
resentation in any history of his county by reason of his services to the com- 
munity, both in war and peace. He has an unblemished .and unusually meri- 
torious military record, covering four years of arduous campaigning, dur- 
ing the Civil war, while most of his time since has been devoted to serving 
his old comrades in their efforts to get what is due them from the government. 
Meantime he has not been neglectful of any duty imposed by the obliga- 
tions of good citizenship, but has stood ready at all times to do his share in 
promoting the general welfare. 

The Stockton family, which originated in England, can justly boast of 
a long lineage and an aristocratic pedigree. Not attempting to go farther 
back than the earliest emigration to this country, it may be stated that Charles 
W. Stockton, son of the first comer, was born in New Jersey, where he 
married Elizabeth, sister of Lord North, of England, an adviser of George 
HL Charles W. was a cousin of Richard Stockton, a signer of the Declara- 
tion of Independence. Richard W. Stockton, son of the last mentioned, and 
a native of New York, served as surgeon in the war of 1812, and died in 1870 
aged eighty-four years. His son, Erastus D. Stockton, was born in New 
York in 181 1, became a general merchant after his removal to Ohio, joined an 
Jowa regiment in the fall of 1861 and died in the service about one year later 
of disease. 

Charles A, Stockton, son of Erastus D., was born in Nelsonville, Ohio, 
in 1839, and seven years later went to live on a farm in Knox county. After 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 31 

remaining- there until 1858 he removed to Hancock county and located at 
Alount Blanchard, where he resided until entering the Union army. In 
1859 Charles A. began the study of medicine in connection with school teach- 
ing, which occupied his time until the momentous event which completely 
changed tlie whole tenor of his life. April t8, 1861, he enlisted at Forest, 
Ohio, as a private in Company D, Fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer In- 
fantry, with which he served three months and then veteranized by re-enlist- 
ing in the same for three years or the war. ]\Ir. Stockton took part v,'ith his 
regiment in the most famous campaigns and several of the most important 
battles of the Civil war, including Rich Mountain, Romney, Winchester, 
Front Royal, Port Republic. Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettys- 
Ixirg. He received a wound in the arm at Chancellorsville, and after Gettys- 
burg was detailed as assistant in the adjutant-general's office at Washing- 
ton, D. C, where he remained until mustered out on June 4, 1864, at Colum- 
bus, Ohio, with the rank of corporal. After being released from army duty, 
Mr. Stockton embarked in the dry-goods and pension business at Forest, 
Ohio, which he conducted in combination for fifteen years. In 1880 he 
transferred his scene of operations to Little Rock, Arkansas, where he con- 
ducted the pension business four years and tlien returning to Ohio established 
an office for the continuance of his work at Findlay. 

In 1865 ]\Ir. Stockton was married to Emma J. Cook, by whom he has 
five children, and since 1889 the family has resided at Findlay. He is a mem- 
ber of the Methodist Episcopal church. Republican in politics, has served on 
the board of trustees and as justice of the peace. ]\Ir. Stockton is promi- 
nent in Odd Fellowship, having been representative to the grand lodge four 
years, and belongs to Stoker Post, No. 54, Grand Army of the Republic. 

DAVID C. ROUTZOX. 

]\Iarion township, Hancock county, has many estimable citizens within 
its borders, but none more so than the gentleman whose name heads this 
sketch. He was born in Holmes county, Ohio, in 1837. In early childhood 
his parents removed to Hancock county, where he was reared and was given 
the ordinary country school education. Fie came to the county when he 
was three years old, and has since been a resident here. He passed his boy- 
hood on the farm engaged in the occupations and pleasures of the average 
farmer boy. They were such, however, as to develop good traits of char- 
acter, and he has always been an active and busy worker. He early learned 
the brick layer's trade, which he followed for a period of thirty-seven years. 



32 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

During that time he was an extensi\'e contractor, and he erected many hand- 
some buildings, which are to-day monuments to his superior handicraft. Many 
of these buildings are to be seen in the city of Findlay and vicinity. The 
energy which he devoted to his calling, together with the sound business 
judgment which he always displayed in making investments of his savings, 
resulted in the accumulation of a competence which he is now enjoying. He, 
however, is not entirely inactive, for no man who follows the busy life which 
our subject pursued, can afford to rust out. People of his class always pre- 
fer to wear out. He therefore is continuing this wearing process in the 
management of a small place, making a specialty of bee culture, and having 
at this time about one hundred colonies of bees. Mr. Routzon is an expert 
in bee culture, having given attention to this business for the past twenty- 
five years, and he is well up on all that pertains to a modern apiary. His 
stock is of the best Italian strain, the output per colony being fifty pounds. 
He cleared his own land and built his own house, and as he remarks "owes 
no man anything but — love." March 28, 1861, Mr. Routzon was joined 
in marriage to Mary Baer, who has borne him twelve children : Jannette ; 
Jennie, deceased ; Margaret ; Vivie ; G. W. ; John D. ; Warren ; David E. C. ; 
Jason H. ; Wilbur ; Eugene, deceased ; and Harvey, deceased. The mother 
of this family was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, February 
3, 1842. The parents of David C. Routzon were John and Jane Routzon, 
natives of Alaryland and Ohio, respectively. His father was born in 1796 
and died in 1877 in Hancock county, Ohio. He was a brickmaker by trade, 
and was one of the early pioneers of the state. He was an extensive con- 
tractor and a well known business man of the town of Findlay. The grand- 
father of David C. Routzon was David Routzon, a native of Maryland, who 
came from Columbiana county, Ohio, to Hancock county in 1837, ^^'^^ died at 
Findlay. David C. Routzon has been one of the upright men of this county. 
He has never had a lawsuit and is universally esteemed both as a man and 
citizen. 

CYRUS GRUBB. 

In recounting the life of Cyrus Grubb we are touching the history of 
one of the prominent families of this county. His parents, Jacob and Mary 
A. (Critzer) Grubb, were both of Welsh descent and natives of Pennsylvania. 
The father was a tailor by trade, but shortly after his marriage began farming 
in Cumberland county, P'ennsylvania. In 1848 they left the old home to 
put their efforts into an unimproved farni of one hundred and twenty acres 




^^^^<^^^Xjl^ .J&Aa^/^ 




<^^^^yzj^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 33 

near Findlay in Marion to\vnship. Tbev held this land until 1862, when they 
sold and located on a farm of the same size in Liberty township. The old farm 
in Marion township is now owned by D. I.. Norris, whereas the land in Lib- 
erty township is still in the family, being held and operated by the youngest 
son, John H. Grubb. 

Jacob Grubb was a man in whom his fellow citizens placed great confi- 
dence. He belonged to the United Brethren church and was for several 
years a steward in that cluirch. In 1889 his wife died, and three years later, 
in 1892 he followed her to the grave. Of their nine children six survive: 
Elizabeth, Cyrus, Catherine, Emma, Jacob G. and John H. Grubb. 

The eldest son, Cyrus, was born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, 
November 9, 1843. Fi^" years later his parents settled near Findlay, where 
Cyrus spent his childhood and youth, securing a common-school education 
and learning to enjoy agricultural pursuits. Li 1862 he followed his parents 
to Liberty township, and one year later enlisted in Company B, of the Twen- 
ty-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serving his country until the close of the 
war, when in 1865 he was honorably discharged. Three years later, in 1868, 
he married Leafifa A. Goiidy, by whom he had four children: Lewis O., 
Mary B., Calvin O. and Bertha A. Mary became the wife of D. D. Porter, 
and Bertha was married to Roy George. In 1884 his wife died, and two 
years later he married Lizzie Fry, who was born in Snyder county, Penn- 
sylvania, March 28, 1862, a daughter of Jesse and Mary Ann (Bowmian) 
Fry, who were born and died in Pennsylvania. By this marriage Mr. Grubb 
was the father of four children: Roy A., Grace M., Clarence H. and Fae 
Aline. 

Cyrus Grubb stands among his fellow citizens as a true type of the 
self-made man. His industry has assured him comfortable circumstances, and 
by his integrity and patriotism he has won the esteem of the community. 
His first purchase of land was made in 1872 under the burden of a heavy 
debt. By untiring industry he gained a clear title to the first eighty acres, 
and now he is sole owner of four hundred and thirty-seven acres of the 
finest farming land in Hancock county. Two hundred of these acres are in 
Blanchard township, upon which there are new buildings; the remaining land 
is in Liberty towaiship, where in 1899 he built a beautiful residence and 
where from time to time he has put up larger and finer farm buildings, as the 
increased demands of his business dictated. 

Mr. Grubb, though dioroughly devoted to farming, has had sufficient 
time and interest in public affairs to hold several township offices, including" 



34 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

that of township trustee. His Hfe may truly be comitecl a success. In pohtics 
he has been a Hfe-long Repubhcan and member of Benton Ridge Post, No. 
109, G. A. R. 

GEORGE F. CRAMER. 

Since early pioneer days members of the Cramer family have resided in 
Hancock county, and they have nobly borne their part in the work of im- 
provement as Loyal and patriotic citizens. The paternal grandfather of our 
subject, Philip Cramer, came from Pennsylvania, his native state, to Fair- 
field county, Ohio, in early pioneer days, and in that locality the family made 
their home for some time. Coming to Hancock county in 1830, he here 
entered four hundred acres of land, which was located in various townships, 
and this he afterward gave to his children. His was a deeply religious na- 
ture, and he became a prominent minister in the United Brethren church, 
having been the means of guiding many to the better way, while at the same 
time he proved himself a financier of no small ability. Through his efforts 
was erected the first grist-mill operated by horse power in Union township. 
Philip Cramer was three times married and became the father of fifteen chil- 
dren, and one of his daughters, Sally, was the first girl married in Union 
township, Hancock county. The following are the children who accom- 
panied him on his removal to Hancock county : Philip, John, Christina, 
Simon, Adam, Daniel, Jacob, Sarah, Phebe, Rachel and Margaret. Philip 
Cramer died after reaching the eighty-fourth milestone on the journey of 
life. His was a long, active, useful and honorable life, and his name is in- 
delibly inscribed on the pages of Hancock county's history. 

Daniel Cramer, the only one of the above named children now living, 
became the father of our subject. He was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, on 
the 22d of July, 1820, and was but ten years of age when he was brought 
by his parents to Hancock county, the year of their arrival being 1830. His 
farm of seventy-three acres was inherited from his father, and the tract is 
located in Union township, where he is engaged in general farming. In April, 
1844, he was united in marriage to Christina Hartege, who was born in 
1824, in Germany, where her father, Lorenzo Hartege, served as a soldier 
under Napoleon. In 1834, when ten years of age, ]\Irs. Cramer left her little 
German home for the United States, and by her marriage she became the 
mother of ten children, eight of whom are now living, namely : George, Lou- 
isa, Levi, Elmira, Rebecca, Aaron, Amanda and ]\Ielissa. Six of the number 
reside in Hancock county. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 35 

Georg-e Cramer, whose name introduces this review, was born on his 
father's farm in Union township, on the 30th of March, 1846, and to its 
pubhc school system he is indebted for his elementary education, which 
was completed in the schools of Findlay. During the early years of his 
life he worked at the carpenter's trade, but later abandoned that occupation 
for farming-, which he now continues on the old homestead. For six years 
he made his home in the village of Rawson, and during that time he served 
efficiently as its treasurer. He has also held other public positions, having 
for ten years served as the constable of his township, and for a long period 
was an assessor. In his fraternal relations he is a member of the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows at Rawson. His marriage was celebrated on the 
26th of August, 1886, when Miss Sarah C. Barnhill became his wife. She 
w^as born in Liberty township, Hancock county, Ohio, ]\Iay 18, 1858, being 
a daughter of Joseph and Sarah Barnhill, and her death occurred on the 
26th of August, 1892. Three children graced this union, but the first born, 
Grace, is now deceased, the others being Georgie F. and Gerty G. The family 
are members of the United Brethren church. 

BENJAMIN C. STEINMAN. 

Jenera, a village of Van Buren township, though a comparatively new 
growth, holds its own quite well with other towns of its size in Hancock 
county. It is surrounded by a good farming community and is the center 
of a considerable trade of a local character, which promises in time to make 
the village a place of some importance. In places of this kind "the store" is al- 
ways a feature of consequence, being a kind of rallying point and headquarters 
for news, as well as the supply depot for all in need of goods of any kind. 
The establishment in Jenera which fills this description has for six or eight 
years been under the energetic management of Mr. B. C. Steinman, who 
has shown himself well qualified to fill the role of general merchant, and 
has attained a high degree of prosperity ampng his patrons. He is of German 
descent and a son of a man who rose to distinction in politics and held a 
position of commanding influence during his days of activity. Adam Stein- 
man. a native of Germany, ^^'as but eleven years old when brought to this coun- 
try by his parents. His first residence was in Pennsylvania, but later he came 
to Columbus, Ohio, and there learned the tailor's trade, which he afterward 
pursued many years with a profit that made him fairly independent. Event- 
ually he found his way to Hancock county, where his "mixing" qualities 
soon made him popular and enabled him to rise in the political world. Be- 



36 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

coming one of the local leaders of the Democracy, he was elected county re- 
corder on the ticket of that party during the period of the Civil war and 
subsecjuently served repeated terms in the office of justice of the peace. By 
a first marriage, with a l\Irs. Smith, Mr. Steinman had three sons and one 
daughter; by a second union, contracted with Mrs. Elizabeth (Tanner) 
Helmes, there was no issue. 

Benjamin C. Steinman, the second child as well as second son in this 
family, was born in Eagle township, Hancock county, Ohio, February 4, 
1858, and received his education in different schools, including those at 
Findlay. In early life he went to Springfield, Ohio, in search of work, 
and, obtaining employment as a clerk in one of the general stores of that 
city, remained there four years. At the expiration of that time he returned 
home and subsequently went to Findlay, where he was engaged a short time 
in the grocery business. This he abandoned to go into farming, which pursuit 
he followed until his marriage, August 30, 1888, to Miss Maggie C. Gross- 
man. A year after this important event in his domestic life Mr. Steinman 
engaged in the general merchandise business at Jenera, first as clerk and later 
as proprietor. In 1095 he purchased from his employer the store in which he 
had been clerking and has since then had sole charge. It is a general store 
in the truest sense, containing a large and miscellaneous stock of goods of 
every kind likely to be in demand at such a place, dry goods and gents' fur- 
nishings being special features. Of the five children born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Steinman one, named Carrie, died in infancy, the survivors being Ancel C, 
Calvin A., Nelo B. and Imo C. Mr. Steinman is Democratic in his politics, 
has held the offices of clerk of the township and mayor of the village and is 
now treasurer of the corporation. He holds fraternal relations with the 
K. O. T. M. and ranks as one of the leading men in the political and social 
as well as the business life of the township. 

GEORGE F. HAMMOND. 

The above named, at present a prosperous farmer of Union township, 
is one of that honored class who served his country loyally and well during 
the great crisis of the Union, and cherishes the memory of the adventures, 
hardships and dangers which beset every veteran of the Civil war. The 
modest soldier never boasts of his achievements, but it is fitting that others 
should say for him what he fails to say for himself, and it is a pleasure for 
the biographer to state that no private soldier of the great army whose heroism 
and self-sacrifice perpetuated this great Republic, has a more creditable record 




ylU/Ly.CLyu^ iH^A^L.Jo^JUylqJ^-o^.^^cLa^^v^v^y^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 37 

than George F. Hammond. More fortunate tlian others, though serving 
throughout the whole period of the war, he escaped without serious injury 
and has since devoted his strength of mind and body in achieving anoth.er 
honorable career in the ranks of industrial toilers. On the paternal side he 
is of Virginia ancestry, his father, George Hammond, having emigrated 
frcmi the Old Dominion during the earlier decades of the nineteenth century. 
He located in Carroll county, Ohio, married a lady whose parents came from 
Maryland, and in 1852 removed to Hancock county. He was a cooper by 
trade and followed that calling throughout his life, the latter years of which 
w-ere spent in Indiana, wdiere he ended his days in 1S65. His wife Ann 
Hammond had preceded him from the scenes of earth, her death having oc- 
curred in 1863. 

Their son, George F. Hammond, was born in Carroll county. Ohio, 
September 19, 1838, and was consequently fourteen years of age when his 
parents took up their abode in Hancock county. The Civil war was opened 
shortly after he reached manhood and he imbibed the spirit of patriotism 
then rife around him, which urged every able bodied young man to take up 
arms for his country. . Mr. Hammond was one of the first to come forward 
and exhibited his earnestness by enlisting in the Twenty-first Regiment, Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry, with which he was promptly sent to the front. It was 
his fortune to serve in some of the most important of the western campaigns,, 
including the ever memorable one of Sherman in 1864 from Chattanooga 
to Atlanta. During his service Mr. Hammond took part in innumerable 
skirmishes and hard marches, besides the great battles of Stone River, Chicka- 
mauga. Missionary Ridge and Atlanta. He carried his musket until the 
termination of hostilities, missing few roll calls, and always on hand when 
serious work was to be done, finally getting an honorable discharge without 
serious mishap at the close of the w-ar in 1865. Mr. Hammond's father and 
one of his brothers were also soldiers in the Eleventh Regiment, Indiana Cav- 
alry. Another brother, named Harrison, died in the service at Nashville, Ten- 
nessee, in June, 1863. 

After returning to civil life Mr. Hammond lost no time in seeking a 
means of livelihood by joining the hosts engaged in agricultural pursuits. 
In 1867 he made his first purchase of land, consisting of forty acres in 
Blanchard township, which he retained and cultivated for some years after- 
ward. Subsequently, however, he disposed of this property and purchased 
of Lewis Dukes a tract of one hundred and fourteen acres situated in Union 
township, which constitutes his present homestead. This farm w^as in only a 
fair state of cultivation at the time it was purchased by Mr. Hammond, but 



38 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

he has since greatly improved it and devotes all the arable area to general 
iarming and stock raising. 

October 28, 1858, i\lr. Hammond selected his life partner in the per- 
son of Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel and Martha Seitz, with whom he 
lived happily until her death July 31, 1902, at the age of sixty years. The 
children resulting from this union were eight -in number, but of these only 
the following named grew to maturity: Jane, Sherman, Emma, Alfred, 
Amanda and George G. Mr. Hammond has always supported the principles 
of the Republican and preserves memories of old times and old associations 
as a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. 

WILLL\M R. RUMMELL. 

One of the representative citizens and progressive business men of the city 
of Findlay is Mr. Rummell, whose life has been passed here, his father having 
located in the town more than half a century ago and having been prom- 
inently identified with its business activities until his death, being a man 
of tlie highest character and commanding unequivocal confidence and esteem 
in the community. 

William R. Rummell was born in Findlay, on the 2d of September, 
i860, and received his early educational discipline in the public schools of 
his native city. He left school at the age of fifteen and gave inception to his 
business career by assuming a clerical position in his father's furniture estab- 
lishment. He thoroughly familiarized himself W'ith all details of the enter- 
prise, and in 1888 was admitted to partnership in the business, the firm 
name of D. Rummell & Son being simultaneously adopted. Since the death 
of his father, in 1897, the subject of this sketch has individually continued 
the business, which is one of no inconsiderable scope and importance, the es- 
tablishment being well equipped with a large and select line of furniture and 
being one of the popular business institutions of the city. 

David R;.nnmell, father of our subject, was likewise a native of the 
Buckeye state, having been born in Columbiana county, Ohio, in the year 
3830, the son of Jacob Rummell, who was born in Germany, in the year 1792, 
and who died in Findlay, in 1879, having been a brick mason and contractor 
by vocation and honored as one of the pioneers of the state. In 1851 David 
Rummell was united in marriage to Mary Reed, daughter of William Reed, 
of Letonia, Columbiana county, and they became the parents of four chil- 
dren, namely: Ellen M., Jesse B., William R. and George B. David Rum- 
mell came to Hancock county in 1848, having been a chairmaker and brick 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 39 

mason by trade. In 1875 he established himself in the furniture business in 
Findlay and by his sterling integrity and honorable and progressive methods 
succeeded in building up a large and representative business, while he took 
a lively interest in all that promoted the general welfare of the community. 
He served for a number of years as a member of the city council and also 
as a member of the board of education, and he was honored for his fidelity 
and for his rigorous observance of the ethics which should safeguard all 
human thought and action. 

William R. Rummell proved an able coadjutor to his father m his busi- 
ness enterprise and has since continued the same with honor and credit. 
He is a Republican in his political proclivities and his religious faith is that 
of the Methodist Episcopal church, while fraternally he is identified with the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Benevolent and Protective Order of 
Elks, the Knights of Pythias and Junior Order of United American 
Mechanics. 

In Allegan county, Michigan, in the year 1882, ]\Ir. Rummell was united 
in marriage to Miss Nancy E. Bowman, a daughter of William Bowman, 
and they are the parents of three children, — Karl R., Maud B. and Mary C. 

FRANCIS M. MILLER. 

During his residence of less than seven years in Findlay the subject of 
this sketch has become popular in connection with the city's varied activities, 
social, political and commercial. He has made the "Oak Pharmacy" a well 
known establishment and both by business tact and uniform courtesy in his 
intercourse has acquired a good patronage along with many friends and 
well-wishers. He -thoroughly understands the technique of his calling, which 
is that of a pharmacist, and keeps well informed as to all improvements and 
new discoveries in that line of business. Llis family originated in Pennsyl- 
vania, whence his grandparents came in the first half of the nineteenth cen- 
tury, and settled in Monroe county, Ohio. With them came a son named 
Jacob, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1822, and was but a youth when the 
removal to the west took place. Jacob Miller grew up in his new Ohio home, 
married, raised a family and went to his final rest in Beallsville in 1883. 
His surviving children, five in number, are thus named in order of birth : 
Emmet M. ; Ophelia, wife of Isaac Hartline; Francis M. ; John B. and Clara. 

Francis M. Miller, third of the above enumerated family, was born at 
Beallsville, Monroe county, Ohio, in 1S68, and was reared and educated in 
his native place. From an early age his tastes and inclinations were towards 



40 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

the druggist's profession, and after growing up he lost no time in securing 
an opportunity to quahfy himself for this useful calling. Shortly after reach- 
ing his majority he entered the College of Pharmacy at Ada, Ohio, and re- 
mained at that excellent institution until his graduation in 1894. Thus 
equipped with a modern education in his chosen vocation, he went 
with little delay to Lima, Ohio, where he purchased a drug store 
and opened for business. Not liking the location, he determined to 
transfer his scene of operations to Findlay, where, in 1895, ^^ established 
the ''Oak Pharmacy,'' and from that time on he has had charge of this store, 
which has grown in popularity as it increased its patronage. 

Mr. Miller is cjuite conspicuous in Knights of Pythias circles, and takes 
much interest in the affairs of the order. Pie is a member of Lodge No. 400 
at Findlay, captain of the Uniformed Rank and has held all the chairs in his 
lodge. Politically his affiliations are with the Republican party, though not 
especially active in the campaigns, and he holds membership in the Church 
of Christ. As a young man of good manners as well as good morals, ]\Ir. 
Miller has commended himself to all with whom he has come in contact, and 
enjoys general esteem both in the social and business world. 

\VILLL\M PL PIOUCK. 

An interesting old pioneer couple were the late Jacob F. Houck and his 
wife, whom he married as E\e Ebaugh. The former was born in Baltimore 
county, Maryland, early in the nineteentli century, and the latter in York 
county, Pennsylvania, and after marriage in the east they came to Hancock 
county in the fall of 1836. They located on a tract of one hundred and sixty 
acres of land, purchased in Jackson township, which was- shortly afterward 
increased to the extent of thirty-six additional acres, and here they settled 
dovvn to the hard work of clearing a primitive place. Jacob became a man 
of consequence in the community in various ways, holding every office in 
the township except those of constable and justice of the peace, and was cap- 
tain of a militia company called the Blanchard Blues. The family's religious 
affiliations were with the Methodist Episcopal church, of which Mr. Houck 
was steward for a number of years and one of the pillars of the organiza- 
tion. This worthy pioneer pair had ten children, of whom eight grew to ma- 
turity and seven of these are still living. The mother passed away in 1850, 
and her husband, after surviving her thirty-four years, closed his eyes upon 
the world in 1884. 

William H. Houck, eldest son among the children above mentioned, was 



^^ 



^ 



o» 




CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 41 

born in Baltimore, now Carroll county, Maryland, March 4, 1826, and con- 
sequently was ten. years old when his parents made their journey to the west- 
ern wilderness. It was upon his vigorous young shoulders in after years 
that the task devolved of bringing into cultivation the wild land purchased 
by his father. In 1852, m connection with his father, he built a sawmill at 
what was called Houcktown and the operation of this occupied most of his 
time for ten years. Eventually he exchanged this property for eighty acres 
of land, which, however, v^'as soon sold and the proceeds invested in another 
tract, still in its virgin state. Mr. Houck took hold of this with his usual 
energy and in time converted it mto a smiling farm, well fenced and highly 
improved after the latest methods. Some notion of what this pioneer settler 
has gone through may be realized from the statement that during his life- 
time he has cleared all told two hundred acres of land. The amount of "hard 
licks," patient endurance, grinding labor and endless drudgery involved in 
this will give the modern man an idea, however incomplete, of what it took 
to make Hancock county the agricultural paradise it now exhibits. Mr. 
Houck's present homestead, which he has owned since 1863, consists of two 
hundred acres of well improved land in Jackson township, which he devotes 
to general farming and stock-raising. He has held various important town- 
ship offices, including that of trustee for six years and in a general way has 
been both a busy and useful citizen. 

In 1852 he married Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Smaltz, and of the 
eleven children of this union ten grew to maturity: Solomon S., Adam B., 
Catherine E., Annie M., Lottie A., John P., Jacob H., Robert C, Perry H. 
and Willie E. All these have been liberally educated, well settled in life and 
occupy places of usefulness in their respective spheres. The mother passed 
away in September, 1899, in ripeness of years and enjoyment of the devoted 
love of her family as well as the universal respect of all acquaintances. Mr. 
Houck is a devoted member of the Methodist church, in which he has been 
class leader for more than half a century and licensed to exhort over forty 
years. The appreciation put upon his good judgment and rectitude is shown 
by the fact that on five different occasions he was selected as a member of 
the county grand jury. His brother Adam served as a soldier during the 
Rebellion and became an eminent physician after the war, removing to Kan- 
sas, where his death occurred some years ago. The foregoing details are 
ample to show that the Houcks, both of the older and later generations, are 
among the best families in the county and second to none in the discharge of 
all the duties of good citizenship. In 1902 Mr. Houck took up his home 
with his son Willie, at 605 West Plardin street, in Findlay. Willie married 



42 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPEIICAL HISTORY 

Gail Grindle, daughter of D. H. and I>izzie U. (Miller) Grindle, and has two 
interesting children, Hugh H. and Mary Elizabeth. He is interested in the 
marble and granite business. 

JACOB O. KETZENBARGER. 

Few citizens of Hancock county, Ohio, are better known or have been 
more successful in agricultural pursuits and stock-raising than Jacob O. 
Ketzenbarger, who owns and operates a farm of one hundred and sixty 
acres in Union township. He is a native son of Hancock county, his birth oc- 
curring in Union township on the 7th of February, 1861. He is a son of 
Sebastian Ketzenbarger, who was born in Germany August 31, 1823, and 
the latter's parents, Michael and Eve (Strong) Ketzenbarger, were also na- 
tives of the fatherland. In 1833 they emigrated to America, first taking up 
their abode in Baltimore, Maryland, where Michael pursued his trade of 
wagonmaking and farming for a number of years. From Baltimore they 
subsequently removed to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, there making their home 
for a time, and in 1840 cast in their lot with the early settlers of Hancock 
county, their son Sebastian being at that time about eighteen years of age. 
During all these years Michael Ketzenbarger continued to follow his trade of 
wagonmaking, while his sons carried on the work of the farm. In his family 
were three children who grew to years of maturity — Mary, Annie and Sebas- 
tian, but the last named is now the only one living. The father was called to 
his final rest in 1845, and his wife followed him to the grave some years later. 

Sebastian Ketzenbarger, the father of our subject, accompanied his par- 
ents on their various removals, and his first purchase of real estate was in 
Union township, Hancock county, the same consisting of one hundred acres 
of timber land. In the midst of the virgin forest he erected a little log. 
house and began life in true pioneer style, but as the years passed by he 
succeeded in clearing his land and placing his fields under cultivation, this 
having been accomplished only by incessant toil and excellent management. 
Selling his possessions in 1866, he removed to Wood county, Ohio, where he 
became the owner of a farm of one hundred and twenty acres on which he 
made his home until 1888, and in that year he came again to Hancock county, 
where he now owns and operates one hundred and sixty acres of land. Mr. 
Ketzenbarger has been twice married, his first wife having been in her maid- 
enhood Miss Rachel Cramer, and their wedding was celebrated on the 13th 
of September, 1849. This union resulted in the birth of nine children : Isabell, 
who was born in 1850, and is now deceased; John, born in 1851 ; Sarah, who 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 43 

was born in 1853, and is also deceased; Andrew, born in 1855; Irene, born 
in 1857; George and Ella, t\yins, and their birth occurred in 1859, but the 
last named is now deceased; Jacob O., born in 1861 ; and Marianna, born 
in 1862. Mrs. Ketzenbarger, who was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, April 
21, 1822, died in 1891, and Mr. Ketzenbarger' s second marriage occurred in 
December, 1895, when Mrs. Lucy Fox became his wife. In political matters 
the family have long been identified with Democratic principles. 

Jacob O. Ketzenbarger, the immediate subject of this review, was taken 
by his parents to Wood county, Ohio, when but five years of age, and in the 
public schools of that county he received his early mental training. In 1889 
he returned to Union township, Hancock county, and in 1900 purchased his 
present farm of fifty acres, which he is now operating in connection with his 
father's old homestead. He makes his home on the last named place, and 
in his farming and stock-raising interests he has met with a high degree of 
success. His land is well improved, and his fields now annually yield to him 
a handsome financial return for the care and labor which he bestows upon 
them. On the 9th of November, 1882, Miss Nellie Eckleberger became his 
wife, and they have become the parents of four children, namely : Reggie C, 
who was born on the 25th of September, 1883; John I., born May i, 1887; 
Ella G., who was born on the 2d of June, 1890; and Ethel L., born December 
2y, 1895. Mrs. Ketzenbarger was born in Wood county Ohio, April 18, 1862, 
and is a daughter of John and Barbara Eckelberger. The Ketzenbarger fam- 
ily are worthy members of the United Brethren cliurch. They are held in 
high regard in the community in which they reside, and their own home is 
celebrated for its gracious hospitality. 

JOHN T. MONTGOMERY. 

The subject of this sketch, though now a prosperous producer and dealer 
in oil, a factor in a Missouri lumber enterprise, and otherwise identified with 
the industrial development of Findlay, has not reached his present position 
without the usual "ups and downs" that generally accompany human en- 
deavor. He had few advantages in early life and put in many hard licks 
as a blacksmith before fortune smiled upon him and enabled him to live with- 
out the the drudgery of daily toil. He is of Irish origin, his father, William 
Montgomery, having been born in the historic land of Erin in 1820, whence 
he emigrated to the new world and after a struggle ended his days in Can- 
ada in 1894. It was in the last mentioned country that his son, John T. Mont- 
gomery, first saw the light of day, his birth having occurred there in 1853. 



44 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

He was reared at Renfrew, the place of his nativity, but in 1877 made his 
way to the Pennsylvania oil fields. But being of a speculative turn of mind 
and realizing that blacksmithing was a rather slow way to make much ad- 
vancement, Mr. Montgomery secured an interest in some oil wells in Alle- 
gany county. New York. After obtaining this foretaste, and realizing the 
immense possibilities of this great industry, he transferred the scene of his 
operations to Ohio, locating at Findlay in 1887. Immediately thereafter he 
entered upon his career as a producer and contractor in oil, and has achieved 
conspicuous success in this fascinating line of investment. He is now senior 
member of the firm of Montgomery & Stitt, which owns wells in Hancock, 
Wood, Mercer, Sandusky and Lucas counties, Ohio. In addition to these inter- 
ests, Mr. Montgomery is a member of the Findlay Lumber Company, consisting 
of two persons besides himself, which has acquired a lot of timber land in Mis- 
souri and is operating a sawmill thereon. 

In September, 1893, Mr. Montgomery married Anna M. George, who 
died leaving a daughter named Hortensia. In 1897 ^^ took a second wife 
in the person of Miss Lida M. Shoultz, of Findlay, Ohio, by whom he has 
two children, John William and Irene. Mr. Montgomery is a member of 
the First Methodist Episcopal church, independent in politics and a Mason. 
He is recognized among his associates as a man of strong force of character 
and remarkably good judgment in business matters. Though not a large 
man, his physical development is like that of an athlete, full of nervous en- 
ergy and with a muscular strength which suggests his early training at the 
anvil as the prime cause. He lives in a handsome house at Findlay, where 
all friends who call are entertained with cordial welcome and genuine Irish 
joviality. 

JOHN T. ARNOLD. 

While a modest man never boasts of his achievements, from dislike to 
v/hat would appear as self-glorification, it is not improper for friends of the 
gentleman above named to say for him what he would not be heard saying for 
himself — that he had achieved success in the world under very disadvan- 
tageous circumstances. The orphan at best usually has a hard lot, but when 
poverty is coupled with orphanage at a very early age a cross is made which 
is very hard to b,ear. Even if the child is fortunate enough to fall into good 
hands there can be no substitute for a mother's love or a father's care, and 
when later the real battle of life begins the natural difficulties always in the 
way seem especially loaded for the forlorn and friendless. The fact that 








J^ 61^ //a^f^z^C^, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 45 

Mr. Arnold had to go through all these experiences and overcame them with- 
out succumbing furnishes the basis for the compliment paid him in the opening 
sentences of this introductory, and the justness of which will be proved as we 
proceed. 

During the latter part of the '30s Thomas Arnold was married to Rachel 
Moore in Hancock county, Ohio, and later took up their abode in the county 
of Delaware. There, on the 7th of December, 1840, John T. Arnold was 
born, and within six months after his advent into the world his mother was 
carried away by death. This first great misfortune was followed in a little 
over two years by another, the death of his father at that time leaving the 
child an orphan. Fortunately Elijah Galant, an uncle who lived in Delaware 
county, took charge of the boy and looked after his welfare until he grew to 
man's estate. When twenty years old he went to Columbus and learned the 
plasterer's trade, which furnished him occupation until 1864. In that year 
he enlisted in Company A, One Hundred and Forty-fifth Regiment, Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry, with which he served imtil honorably discharged. Pre- 
vious to this, however, lie had been a member of the militia, and in both 
branches of the service, during the short time he remained, endeavored to 
do his full duty as a soldier. February 18, 1864, Mr. Arnold was married, 
in Licking county, to Jane Lewis, and for awhile engaged in farming in Dela- 
ware county. In 1866 he came to Hancock county and located on land in 
Orange township, where he remained until 1875, and then removed to the 
farm on which he now resides. This tract, consisting of two hundred acres at 
the time Mr. Arnold took possession, was wet land, mostly covered with tim- 
ber and required much ditching. The task of clearing the pl'ace and getting it 
into shape for cultivation was a heavy and expensive one, but Mr. Arnold 
managed to accomplish it in time by the hard work of himself and his em- 
ployes. The soil is rich and productive, and under Mr. Arnold's manage- 
ment his land has been made one of the best farms of its size in that neighbor- 
hood. 

Mrs. Arnold died January 17, 1897, ^fter becoming the mother of eleven 
children, whose names are thus recorded in order of birth : Lizzie, wife ot 
Miles Raston, of Morrow county, Ohio; Dellie M., who died June 16, 1895; 
Thomas, who died April 9, 1880; Samuel R. ; James H. ; Sarah G., wife of 
Ross Rockey; George W., who died July 14, 1880; Ida, who died January 
I, rS8o; Bertha A.; Hulda, who died February 7, 1883; and William J. 
Mr. Arnold cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1864, and has ever 
since been a stanch supporter of Republican principles. He is a member of 
tlie Baptist clmrch, and for many years was clerk of the sessions, always 



46 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

taking much interest in the rehgious work. At one time he belonged to the 
Grange, keeps well posted on affairs relating to agriculture and altogether is 
an kindhearted, unassuming man, who enjoys general respect as a good neigh- 
bor and good citizen. 

EDMUND C. TAYLOR. 

To the discovery of oil in Pennsylvania and Ohio, and the resultant in- 
dustries that grew therefrom on such a large scale, may be attributed the 
development of what may be called a new type of business men. The neces- 
sities of the case sharpened the wits, while enlarging the faculties, with the 
result that many of the most remarkable men of the country have owed their 
training to the exigencies of the great oil fields. The failures, of course, in 
ihat, as in all other lines of business, far exceed the successes, but those 
who were fortunate enough to be added to the latter list will generally prove, 
when found, to be the ruling spirits of their communities. These remarks 
will apply to several who have been mentioned in this volume, but to none 
with more force than to the gentleman whose career is herein outlined. In 
fact Mr. Taylor's whole life may be said to have been spent "in oil," though he 
himself will be the first to admit that the sailing was not always as. smooth 
as the term would indicate. Almost from boyhood he has been connected 
in one way or another with the oil industry of Pennsylvania and Ohio, and 
none understand better than he all the "ins and outs," the advantag;es as well 
as the dangers of the fascinating road to wealth which leads through those 
mysterious subterranean channels where is formed the precious fluid that has 
revolutionized the world. Mr. Taylor is one of those who made a success 
of this business^ acquired wealth by dint of much hard work and risky 
venture, and is now at the head of one of the leading financial institutions of 
Findlay. 

Edmund C. Taylor was born in Ohio, September 2, 1851, attended tlie 
common schools as he grew up and rounded out his education at Oberlin 
College. Being ambitious for a business career and full of the ardor of youth, 
he could scarcely await the completion of his college career before venturing 
into the struggle for fortune with the hosts then engaged so strenuously 
in developing the Pennsylvania oil fields. He was twenty years old when 
he reached Oil City, then the center of the industry, and lost no time in be- 
coming one of the throng who were making that town a hive of industry and 
speculative ventures. Mr. Taylor spent about eighteen months at Oil City, 
without any incident worthy of special mention, but regarding Butler county 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 47 

as a better opening, he repaired to that section and there continued in the 
same hne of business for six years. In 1878 he located at Bradford and 
opened a nitro-glycerine manufactory, which was conducted in connection 
with the "shooting" of wells for prospectors, and this highly dangerous busi- 
ness occupied him for seven years, during which time many of those asso- 
ciated with him lost their lives by contact with the explosive. But the 
"fittest survive," according to the Darwinian philosophy, and it was Mr. 
Taylor's good fortune to escape all the deadly dangers incident to his perilous 
occupation. From Bradford he transferred his scene of operations to Rich- 
burg, Pennsylvania, where he became an oil producer and prosecuted that 
branch of the business with vigor, and more or less success, from 1881 until 
1886. In the latter year he decided to abandon the Pennsylvania for the 
Ohio fields, and in order to be in the center of activity, located at Findlay, 
where he immediately resumed operations with his usual energy and was 
connected with the first well drilled for oil in that region. During his resi- 
dence of sixteen years in Hancock county Mr. Taylor has maintained his 
connection ^Mth the oil interests, but has found time to devote to other mat- 
ters of importance for the public welfare. Among his contributions in this 
line was his service for many years as one of the gas trustees and his man- 
agement of the Commercial Bank and Savings Company, to the presidency of 
which institution he was elected in January, 1901. 

In 1889 Mr. Taylor was united in marriage at Findlay with Mrs. Grace 
Moore, whose maiden name was Ostermeyer, and their household is one of 
the social centers of the city. Mr. Taylor has long been conspicuous in Ma- 
sonry, having risen to the thirty-second degree in that ancient order, and 
is also connected wnth the Knights of Pythias and Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows. In politics he has been a life-long Republican. 

HARVEY RAINEY. 

For sixty-three years Harvey Rainey traveled life's journey, and each 
year of that period was marked with good deeds and a record of an hon- 
orable career, and in the evening of life he received the veneration and re- 
spect which should ever be accorded those who live worthily, faithfully per- 
forming life's duties, and following their honest convictions of right and 
wrong. Harvey Rainey was a well known and respected representative of 
the agricultural class in Hancock county, residing for the greater part of the 
time in Big Lick township. He was born in Lawrence county, Pennsylvania, 
August 13, 1834. At the age of fifteen years he left home and learned the 



48 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

carpenter's trade under John Dickson, of Lawrence comity, Pennsylvania, re- 
maining with him six years. He then went to Wisconsin and Minnesota and 
worked at the carpenter's trade in both states for four years, when he came 
to Hancock county and worked at his trade here for about six years. In 
1862 he located in Big Lick township, purchasing a farm of eighty acres. 
As he prospered later in life he made an addition to this original purchase of 
forty acres, located in Washington township, and again added a tract of 
one hundred acres to his real estate holdings, this time in Cass township. 
In early life Mr. Rainey learned the carpenter's trade, wdiich he followed in 
connection wnth farming in Hancock county, his system being to let his land 
out on the shares, while he engaged actively as a contracting carpenter, turn- 
ing the result of his labors into more real estate. He gradually ceased his 
connection with the carpenter's trade, and in 1865 abandoned it entirely, after 
which he followed farming exclusively. Mr. Rainey combined many noble 
traits of character. He was a quiet, peaceful man, inoffensive as a child, a 
first-class farmer and a loyal citizen. He was a member in good standing in 
the Methodist Episcopal church, and voted with the Republican party. His 
marriage was celebrated with Miss Sarah A. Taylor, April 5, i860. Miss 
Taylor was a daughter of William and Jane Taylor, and to the marriage 
were born five children, namely : Amanda J. ; Charles W. ; Mary A. ; George 
B., deceased; and Alvin D. The death of the father of the family occurred 
December 23, 1897. 

Mrs. Sarah A. Rainey was born in Washington township, September 14, 
1 84 1, and has resided in sight of her home all of her lifetime. Ller parents, 
William and Jane Taylor, came to this township in 1838, being natives of 
Washington county, Pennsylvania. They were among the worthy pioneers 
of Hancock county, whose descendants fill the various w^alks of life acceptably. 
Both died at the age of seventy-two. Robert, the grandfather, born in County 
Down, L'eland, who was of the Protestant faith and a successful farmer, died 
at the age of eighty years. Martha, the grandmother of Mrs. Rainey, died 
when about seventy years old. Grandfather and Grandmother Bell were of 
Welsh descent and both died of old age. 

HON. HENRY BISHOP. 

Hon. Henry Bishop, deceased, was prominently identified with public 
affairs in early days and was a recognized leader in local politics. A native 
of Ohio, he was born in Franklin county, November 23, 1820, and in early 
manhood joined his brother, John D., in Hancock county. 







ohtv^Jk^^. Id^Zf^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 49 

printer's trade in the office of the Courier at Findlay, he later purchased that 
paper and engaged in its pubhcation from the 24th of January, 1839, until the 
1st of July, 1845, but it did not prove a very profitable investment. He was 
a forcible though rather an illogical writer. Prior to disposing of the paper 
Mr. Bishop settled on a farm in Eagle township and devoted the remainder 
of his life to agricultural pursuits. In early life he engaged in teaching school 
for a few terms. 

On the 5th of November, 1840, he was united in marriage to Miss Eve 
Smith, who was also born in Franklin county. May 21, 1821, a daughter 
of William Smith, and they became the parents of six sons, namely : George 
S., born July i, 1842, died in Seneca county, Ohio, September 12, 1896; Will- 
iam is now living near Mt. Blanchard; John S. is mentioned below; Isaac 
lives on a part of the old homestead ; Smith resides in Seneca county, two and 
a half miles northeast of Tiffin; and Henry Dixon is now serving as justice 
of the peace in Eagle township, Hancock county. The late John D. Bishop, 
our subject's brother, made his home in this county for many years. A sister, 
Polly, married Isaac Smitii, a brother of our subject's wife, and they were the 
parents of Henry Smith, who is still living in Eagle township. 

During his residence in Hancock county Mr. Bishop took quite an active 
and influential part in public affairs, and was elected to the state legislature 
at the same time Reuben Wood was made governor. Being somewhat ec- 
centric he attended the sessions of that august body clad in a hunting shirt and 
leggins, but he was nevertheless a valued member of the house and was un- 
wavering in his support of those measures which he believed would advance 
the general welfare. He died within sight of his home, June 18, 1855, being 
drowned in Eagle creek during high Avater while attempting to loosen drift- 
wood. He got a cramp while sv/imming and went down. He left a widow 
and six sons, the oldest of whom was only thirteen years of age and the youngest 
one year old. Mrs. Bishop carefully reared her children, and as soon as they 
were old enough to be of any assistance to her they began to aid in the opera- 
tion of the home farm.. In 1871 she was again married, her second union being 
with Conrad Line, a farmer, who died in 1876. Two years after his death 
she returned to the old Bishop homestead, keeping her own part of the house 
and living independently until her death, which occurred October 24, 1896. 
She retained her faculties up to the last, being quite well preserved for one 
of her years. She was a faithful and consistent member of the old school 
Baptist church, was a strict Sabbatarian, and an active church worker. The 
sick and needy in her neighborhood always found in her a friend, and she 
was highly respected and esteemed by all who knew her. In 1863 she erected 



50 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

a brick house upon her place, the brick being made upon the farm, but it was 
destroyed by fire in 1883. In addition to the old homestead, comprising two 
hundred and forty acres, she owned another farm of one hundred and sixty 
acres in Seneca county and in the management of the estate displayed excel- 
lent business and executive ability. 

John S. Bishop, one of the leading agriculturalists and representative 
citizens of Eagle township, was born on the site of his present home, Decem- 
ber 13, 1847, ^I'ld his whole life has been spent upon that farm. He remained 
with his mother until her second marriage, when in partnership with his brother 
Isaac he bought the interests of the other heirs in the property, becoming owner 
of one hundred and twenty acres. Nineteen years ago he erected 
his present residence, which is located on the banks of Eagle creek five 
and a half miles south of Findlay. He is a progressive and practical farm- 
er who thoroughly understands the vocation which he follows and is meeting 
with well deserved success in his operations. Besides his part of the old home- 
stead he owns another farm in Jackson township and has city property in 
Findlay. 

On the 4th of April, 1872, was celebrated the marriage of John S. Bishop 
and Miss Angeline A. Woodruff, a daughter of Elijah and Sarah (Walters) 
Woodruff, our subject's nearest neighbors. She was born on an adjoining 
farm, August 14, 1850, and was there reared, she and her husband being school- 
mates. Unto them were born three children : Charley Cloyce, who died at 
the age of two years, one month and fifteen days; Sadie Blanche, now the wife 
of Henry Hartman, of Jackson township, by whom she has two children, John 
Durell and Clarence Harold; and Carrie Audra, v,ho was educated in the Find- 
lay high school and is still with her parents. Both daughters have studied 
music and the younger is quite an accomplished pianist and also a vocalist of 
more than ordinary ability. In the family of ]\Ir. and Mrs. Bishop is a little 
boy, Earl Bishop Newman, now nine years of age, who has made his home 
with them since the death of his mother during his infancy. 

In his political views Mr. Bishop is a stanch Democrat, and though he 
takes an active interest in public affairs he has never been an aspirant for politi- 
cal honors, preferring to devote his undivided attention to his business inter- 
ests. His estimable wife is a member of the Pleasant Grove United Brethren 
church, but he still adheres to his mother's teachings and in religious faith is a 
Baptist, although he is not connected with any church organization. That 
his life has been an upright and honorable one is shown by the fact that those 
who have known him from boyhood are numbered among his warmest 
friends. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 5i 

HARVEY C. MILEY. 

The gentleman above mentioned, at present one of the popular busi- 
ness men at Findlay, has had a varied experience as school teacher, real 
estate dealer and newspaper publisher, with a little office-holding on the side. 
Such occupations are necessarily educational if not especially profitable, and 
the training added to the information acquired is apt to prove useful in later 
life. At any rate Mr. Miley does not regret the time spent in "teaching the 
young idea how to shoot" nor his experiences as a "moulder of thought" while 
presiding over the sanctums of country newspapers. All this is behind him 
now, however, and he is intent only upon making a lasting success of his 
present business, which is that of real estate, insurance and loans, and those 
who know him best are of the opinion that he is apt to succeed in whatever he 
undertakes. 

Harvey C. Miley was born near Wauseon, Ohio, in 1855, grew up on 
a farm and went through the usual experiences as to training and education 
that fall to the lot of boys in the country. This routine continued until he 
had reached the nineteenth year of his age, when he made his first venture in 
life as a teacher of a Fulton county school. He kept up this occupation in 
his native county about six years and then went to Kalkaska, Michigan, where 
for a year he was engaged in the real estate business, this he abandoned 
temporarily to accept the principalship of the school at Williamsburg, which 
position he held a year, and then took charge of the schools at Fife Lake, 
where he also spent a year. Leaving the school room permanently at the 
end of his term at Fife Lake, he opened a real estate and insurance office at 
that point and conducted the same for the following two years. His next 
move was to Boyne City, Michigan, where he continued the real estate busi- 
ness two years and then purchased the Boyne Citizen, a weekly independent 
newspaper, which he managed a year and a half. Disposing of this plant, 
Mr. Miley made another investment in the newspaper field by purchasing the 
Enterprise, a weekly publication at East Jordan, Michigan, but this he re- 
tained only six months and ended his career as an editor by a sale of the 
plant. In 1887 he came to Findlay, opened a real estate, insurance and loan 
office and since then has been well to the front in that line, to which he has 
devoted all his time and energy with satisfactory results. 

In 1880 Mr. Miley was united in marriage with Alary E. Miller, of 
Fulton county, Ohio, and they have two children: Earl L., and Vera E. 
He is a Republican in politics, but aside from holding the city clerkship while 
a resident at Boyne City, Michigan, in 1884-5, he has occupied no official po- 



52 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

sition. His religious affiliations are with the Church of Christ, and his fra- 
ternal connections with the Knights of Pythias and Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows. 

JAMES DENNISON. 

James Dennison, a native of the state of Ohio, and a veteran of the Civil 
war. is one of the early settlers of Hancock county, having lived in the county 
lor over sixty years. Mr. Dennison was born in Plymouth, Ohio, in 1837, 
and lived there until he was four years of age, when he moved, with his par- 
ents to a farm in Union township, Hancock county, where he lived until he 
was ten years old. The family then moved to Findlay, Ohio, and ever since 
that time, Mr. Dennison has made his home there; at first, with his parents, 
and later, with his wife and children. 

His father was Elihu Dennison, Jr., who was born in New York state in 
1799, came to Ohio in 1821, and to Hancock county, Ohio, in 1841, finally 
settling in Findlay in 1847. He opened the first meat market ever in Findlay, 
and successfully carried it on until his death in 1858. 

James Dennison was married in the year i860 to Mary Louthan, who 
died in 1 86 1. In July, 1863, feeling that his country needed his services, Mr. 
Dennison enlisted in the Union army at Findlay, Ohio, in Company L, First 
Regiment Ohio Heavy Artillery, as fifth sergeant, and a year later, was pro- 
moted to first sergeant, and served as such until mustered out at Knoxville, 
Tennessee, in August, 1865, after the great struggle for the preservation of the 
Union was ended. Although he served for over two years, Mr. Dennison 
was in no regular engagements, but was in several skirmishes with guerrillas 
in eastern Tennessee. After being mustered out when the war was ended, 
Mr. Dennison returned to Findlay, Ohio, and, choosing the trade which his 
father had followed all his life, he went into the butchering business, and still 
continues in it. 

Mr. Dennison married again, in 1868, his present wife being Elizabeth 
(Spaith) Dennison, and they have eleven children, all living, five boys and 
six girls. Mrs. Dennison was born in Germany, emigrated to the United 
States at three years of age, and with her parents settled in Findlay a half cen- 
tury ago. 

James Dennison's grandfather, Elihu Dennison, Sr., was born in New 
York state and died there before his son Elihu, Jr., James's father, came to 
Ohio. He was a farmer. 

Mr. Dennison is honored and respected in the community in which he lives. 





^Z^U^dU:/ ^£.tyi^^ 



'i^>-Z^C^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 53 

He is an earnest Republican, sincere in his love of country and home, and as 
ready to work for their interests and welfare now, as he was when he entered 
the army in '63 ; but he merits the rest which should come with advancing years, 
and can leave the work for his boys. He belongs to Stoker Post, No. 54, 
G. A. R. 

ROBERT B. RUSSELL. 

Old men for wisdom, young men for action. We here present the name 
of one of the young and prosperous farmers who is aiding in maintaining 
the reputation held by the agricultural class of Hancock county. He resides 
in Big Lick township, where he owns a farm of eighty acres of valuable farm- 
ing land, and upon which he has two producing oil wells. 

Mr. Robert B. Russell claims nativity in the township in which he re- 
sides, where he was born May 13, 1865. He is the son of William Russell and 
Eliza Taylor. His life, which has been an uneventful one, has been passed 
in Hancock county. His education was received in the common schools of 
his own district. He was born and bred a farmer, and adopted that occupa- 
tion as his life work. The vigorous manner in which he has conducted his 
farm has made him pre-eminently successful, and he bids fair to become 
one of the leading agriculturists of northern Ohio. The event of his life 
which he considers of most importance, occurred the day following Christ- 
mas of 1886, when he was joined in marriage to Miss Flora A. Stahl. Miss 
Flora was the daughter of j. F. and Mary Stahl, and is a lady of many ac- 
complishments and of a refined and gentle nature. The happy union has 
been blessed with three beautiful children: Franklin L., November i, 1887; 
Etta J., December 22, 1889; and William C, March 6, 1894. The family of 
which Mrs. Russell is a dutiful daughter is an old Buckeye family. 

The family of which Robert B. Russell is an honored representative, 
have been for long years residents of the state of Ohio. William Russell, his 
father, was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, April 14, 1826. Eliza Taylor, his 
mother, was a native of Washington county, Pennsylvania, where she was 
born November 28, 1826. William Russell came to this county in 1840, when 
but a boy of fourteen years. When he grew to maturity he purchased ninety- 
four acres of land, to which he soon added enough to make three hundred 
and eighty-six acres. It was in two bodies, eighty acres being located in Put- 
nam county, Ohio. William Russell was an active, energetic man in business, 
one of the practical kind of farmers, who looked closely after his own inter- 
ests. He was a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and the 



54 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

party of Lincoln suited him politically until the breaking out of the Civil war, 
at which time and for a period thereafter he gave his support to the Democracy. 
Later in life his convictions concerning the prohibition question were such 
that he turned towards that party and acted with it until his death. For some 
time he was a member of the Grange and was earnest in his efforts for its 
advancement. He held many of the offices of trust in his township, and for a 
number of years administered the duties of trustee. His marriage to Eliza 
Taylor occurred June i, 1850, and there were nine children born to him, eight 
of that number now living: George, Martha J., John W., William T., Sara 
C, Alfred L., Robert B. and C. W. Mr. Russell is at present a resident of 
Findlay, having accumulated sufficient competence to live a retired life. His 
wife died some years ago. Her father, William Taylor, was a pioneer resi- 
dent of Hancock county, where he married Cassandra Bell. The original entry 
of his land was made in 1835, shortly after they came to Hancock county. He 
was a native of Ireland. Their family consisted of eight children, three of 
whom still survive. They were highly respected in the community for their 
worth as good citizens. 

WILLIAM FRANK SNIDER. 

The Sniders constitute one of the oldest families in Hancock county, 
nor is its length of residence by any means its only recommendation. They 
have borne their full share of the burdens of development, have "held up 
their corner" at every trying conjuncture and have made a creditable showing" 
in the business, social and political life of the county. In fact the oldest 
inhabitant cannot remember a time when the Sniders, individually and col- 
lectively, were not conspicuous figures in social circles. It was in 1835 
that John Snider removed from York county, Pennsylvania, and purchased 
from Henry Litzenberger fifty-six acres of land lying in what is now Amanda 
township. John was industrious and was soon able to add twenty more 
acres to his original purchase, which, by a similar increase in J 860, eventually 
amounted to ninety-six acres, and this he cleared, fenced and generally im- 
proved until it was converted into a fertile and beautiful farm. All accounts 
agree in representing John Snider as a man of large heart, upright character 
and a model citizen in every respect. He was a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal church and quite influential in religious circles, holding the posi- 
tion of trustee and class leader. Shortly after his arrival in Hancock county 
he was married to Eliza Treece, a native of Pickaway, and with her he settled 
down to housekeeping on his newly purchased farm. They had ten children, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 55 

of whom eight are hving and six of them are residents of Hancock county. 
The father ended his active and useful hfe in 1888, having long survived his 
wife, who passed away in 1862. 

William F. Snider, one of the surviving children of the pioneer couple 
just described, ^^•as born in 1849, on the farm he now owns in Amanda town- 
ship, Hancock county, Ohio. His education as well as his training was re- 
ceived within the confines of his native township, and during his whole career 
be has known no other regular pursuit than that of farming. In 1880 Mr. 
Snider joined with his brother Isaac in purchasing sixty-six acres of land, 
but eight years later disposed of his share to the fraternal partner and used 
the capital to buy the place on which he now resides. It consists of sixty- 
six acres of well improved land, on which Mr. Snider built in 1898 a handsome 
and commodious residence, which, with the addition of other modern improve- 
ments, makes this one of the coziest country homes in the county. Mr. 
Snider has served his township as trustee and was summoned as a member 
of the first jury that sat in the new court house at Findlay, whose term lasted 
forty-two days. In 1872 Mr. Snider was united in marriage to Elizabeth, 
daughter of Josiah and Margaret Morehart, and the fruit of this union was 
an only son, born in 1878 and named Truman. The parents are devout mem- 
bers of the United Brethren church, of which Mr. Snider has been trustee for 
twenty-five years. 

WILLIAM F. HOSLER. 

This gentleman is the present efficient and popular cashier of the City 
Banking Company of Findlay, Ohio. He was born on a farm in Washington 
township, Hancock county, Ohio, on February i, 1862. He passed the period 
of youth to the age of thirteen on the farm, receiving the ordinary education 
given in the country school. At that age he came to Findlay, Ohio, with his 
parents, where he had the advantages of better schools, and which he im- 
proved. Leaving school in 1878 he entered -the office of the county treasurer 
as assistant and remained there until September, 1880, when he entered the 
employ of the Farmers' Bank as teller. In this position he served two years, 
and with such efficiency as to merit promotion to the assistant cashiership. He 
acted in this position until January i, 1886, when the bank was made a national 
organization and our subject was made assistant cashier of this new organiza- 
tion. He served in this position as such until April i, 1887, when he resigned 
and accepted the position of cashier of the City Bank of Findlay. He served 
in this relation until December i, 1897, when the bank was reorganized and 



56 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

took its present name, the City Banking Company of Findlay, and our 
subject was made cashier of the new organization, and has continued to hold 
that position until the present time. Mr. Hosier began his married life in 
Findlay, Ohio, on October 7, 1885, when he was joined in marriage to Helen 
M., daughter of M. D. Shafer. Mr. Shafer died in June, 1899, in Findlay, 
at sixty years of age. He was born in Hancock county, was admitted to the 
Hancock county bar at the age of twenty-one, and for nearly forty years was 
a lawyer in this city. The mother of Mrs. Hosier was born in Mahoning 
county, Ohio, in 1842, and now resides in the city of Findlay. To the mar- 
riage of Mr. and Mrs. Hosier has been born one daughter, Mary L. Mr. 
Hosier is a popular citizen of Findlay, in which city he has a host of friends. 
Socially he affiliates with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and that 
other excellent order the B. P. O. E. Passing for a few moments now to the 
consideration of the family history of our subject, his father, Peter Hosier, 
was born in Pennsylvania in 1821, and came to Ohio in his boyhood with 
his father, Christopher Hosier, who located in Stark county, Ohio. They 
later removed to Hancock county, the year being about 1842. Prior to his 
removal to this county Peter Hosier married in Stark county, Ohio, Susana 
Sherman, to whom were born a family of twelve children. Peter Hosier was 
a contracting carpenter in his earlier life and later a farmer. He was a man 
of good character, of large influence in the county and in 1875 was elected 
treasurer of Hancock county on the Democratic ticket. In this ofifice he served 
two terms. He was president of the Farmers' Bank and later of the Farmers' 
National Bank, and in 1887 was made president of the City Bank, which 
position he held at the time of his death in 1897. 

In politics Mr. Hosier is a Democrat. He is a young man of excellent 
prospects, who will delight a large circle of friends by his continued succes" 
among them. 

EDGAR A. HAWKINS. 

The visitor to Findlay who registers at the Hotel Benton is sure of first- 
class entertainment, but he will enjoy additional pleasure if he cultivates the 
acquaintance of the gentlemanly manager wdio, though of quiet manners and 
unobtrusive demeanor, has seen much of the world and has some interesting 
stories to tell growing out of his personal experience. Mr. Hawkins served 
all through the Civil war in one of the fighting regiments, and many were the 
battles, skirmishes and engagements in which he took part during the long 
and bloody struggle between the north and the south. In civil life Mr. Flawkins 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 



57 



has made a record as a telegraph operator, which in point of time has probably 
not been surpassed by any other manipulator of the keys in this country. Dur- 
ing those busy thirty years he gained and long retained the reputation of being 
one of the most rapid and accurate of all the operators in the service of the 
Western Union, and during this time he held positions of great responsibility 
at important railroad centers. The third stage in Mr. Hawkins's career has 
been as a hotel man, in which role he has been familiarly known for the last 

twelve years in connection with a number 
of prominent houses in various cities of 
Ohio and Indiana. The foregoing sum- 
mary will be ample justification for the re- 
mark that Edgar A. Hawkins is an inter- 
esting man to know, and for the purpose of 
better introducing him to the traveling pub- 
lic and the readers of this volume this brief 
biographical sketch of his life and career 
has been arranged. 

The family of this name originated in 
New York state, and from there Lafayette 
and Elizabeth (Smith) Hawkins removed 
in early life to Michigan, wdiere they lo- 
cated in the county of Monroe. Subse- 
quently they went to Lucas county, Ohio,, 
where Mr. Hawkins was engaged for many 
years in the sawmill business at Maumee. His wife died in 1844, and his own 
death occurred four years later, both finding their final resting place in the 
cemetery at Petersburg, Michigan. At this town also their son, Edgar A. 
Hawkins, was born May 26, 1843, but he received his education chiefly in 
Ohio, and has been identified with this state during the larger part of his life. 
After attending school at Gallon and Marion for some years he was gradu- 
ated in the high school of the last mentioned city in 1858 and immediately 
entered into the occupation w^hich he has chosen as his life Avork. As early 
as sixteen years of age he became proficient as a telegraph operator, and in 
J 860 was given charge of an office of the Bee Line Railway Company at La- 
Rue, Ohio. In April of the following year he w^as busy with his keys W'hen 
his quick ear caught a message going over the wires which w-as the most mo- 
mentous ever transmitted since Morse invented this wonderful means of com- 
The news of great moment which arrested the at- 




58 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL LIISTORY 

tention of the young operator at LaRue and about the same time was 
sending a thrill throughout the length and breadth of this great 
nation was to the effect that the rebels congregated at Charleston har- 
bor, under command of one P. T. Beauregard, had had the audacity to fire 
upon the flag of the United States as it floated over the battlements 
of Fort Sumter. That meant Civil war, and this awful fact was re- 
alized by e\'ery man and \\'oman in the Union as soon as the news of 
the transaction at Charleston was floated over the wires. The young teleg- 
rapher at LaRue was not one to stand back when his country needed his 
services, and on the 12th of July, 1861, we find him enlisting at Marion as a 
member of the Fifth Regiment, Ohio Cavalry, in which he served during the 
nine following months and then obtained a transfer to Company G, Fifteenth 
Regiment Ohio Infantry. He remained with the latter command until June 8, 
1865, his total service lacking one month of four years, and those who are famil- 
iar with the record of the old Fifteenth need not be told that those who staid 
with it had all the hard marching and fighting that could be desired by the most 
ambitious campaigner. This remark will be verified by an enumeration of the 
principal battles and engagements in wliich Mr. Ha^v■kins took part with his 
regiment during the four years that elapsed after he left his little office at 
LaRue. This list includes Winchester, Fairfax Court House, Cheat River, 
Maryland Heights, Bolivar Heights, Martinsburg, all in Virginia; Bowling 
Green and Cumberland Gap, Kentucky ; Stone River, Tullahoma, Lookout 
Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Chickamauga, Tennessee; Ringgold, Peach 
Tree Creek, Dug Gap, Kenesaw Mountain, Atlanta and Resaca, Georgia. Mr. 
Hawkins received a gun shot wound in the left leg at the last mentioned bat- 
tle, but was ready for duty again after the expiration of three weeks in hos- 
pital. Then commenced that epoch-making military movement known in 
history as the march to the sea, during which Mr. Hawkins took part with his 
command in the fights at Savannah, Fort Fisher and Goldsborough, after 
which the conquering and united armies of the north proceeded on and made 
their triumphant entry into the national capital. The grand review, so often 
described and so well rememberd by every participant, closed the Civil war 
Avith a spectacular exhibition of patriotic pride and justifiable jubilation which 
made a fitting finale to the greatest tragedy of history. \Yhile his regiment 
was located at Savannah, Georgia, Mr. Hawkins was given a commission 
Avhich promoted him to the rank of second lieutenant of his company, an honor 
well deserved as a result of his long and loyal service to the Union cause. 

After the war Mr. Hawkins resumed his calling as a telegTaph operator, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 59 

and continued it for many years, dvn'ing which time he was stationed at vari- 
C'tis points throughout the west. For eighteen years he was traffic chief at In- 
dianapoHs, and in 1887 was sent by the Western Union to Wichita, Kansas, 
and remained there during the period of the famous "boom" at that place. At 
length, after terms of service which in all amounted to thirty years, Mr. Haw- 
kins was compelled to drop his keys on account of what is called telegrapher's 
paralysis and seek other lines of employment. Entermg the Hotel Cambridge 
at Lima, Ohio, he remained in the service of that popular hostelry for three 
years, and went from there to Frankton, Indiana, where he became an employe 
of the Altoona Hotel. He was afterward with the Kerr House at Marion, 
Ohio, the Grand Hotel at Indianapolis and the Morscher House at Tiffin, until 
finally he took charge as manager of the Benton at Findlay and has since re- 
tained that position. 

In 1867 Mr. Hawkins was married to Miss Katie Rhodes, w-ho died a 
year later, and in 1872 he was united with his second wafe, in the person 01 
Miss Ella Wood, who died July 23, 1889, after becoming the mother of two 
children, Harry W. and Edna N. The political affiliations of Mr. Hawkins 
have always been Republican, and by virtue of his military service he is a 
member of Mart Armstrong Post, No. 202, Grand Army of the Republic, 
at Lima. The thousands who have come in contact with Mr. Hawkins in a 
business way. as telegrapher operator or hotel manager, have always found 
him a courteous and obliging gentleman, and this reputation he has fully 
maintained since taking charge of the Benton. 

ROBERT L. LEONARD. 

Robert L. Leonard, a prominent and well known farmer of Big Lick 
township, owming and operating one hundred acres of well cultivated soil, was 
born in the township in which he resides, August 4, 1854. Here he was reared 
in the old homestead, which continued to be the scene of his boyhood labors 
and pleasures until his maturity, and during the meantime he became familiar 
with the curriculum of studies covered by his home school. He remained on 
his father's farm for several years after his majority, his first real estate pur- 
chase being in 1875 and consisting of ten acres. This w^as soon increased by 
seventeen acres donated to him by his father. These small holdings he con- 
tinued to improve, and in due time sold at a good figure, w^th the proceeds of 
which he purchased the first sixty acres of his present farm. He cultivated 
this until 1901, wdien he added the remaining forty acres. On this farm he has 
erected suitable and commodious buildings of modern construction, which 



6o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

add much to the pleasing prospect. The marriage of our suhject occurred in 
this county in 1875, he being joined to Sarah A., the daughter of John and 
Polly A. Kinsel. To this happy union were born three childreen : John A., 
a telegraph operator in Findlay, Ohio; Fred S. and Estella G. Fred S., the 
youngest son, has taken up agriculture as his vocation, and is now working 
the home form. The mother of these children was born in Big Lick township, 
being a member of one of the noted pioneer families of the early day. They 
are both members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which body he is 
a class leader and also a trustee. The religious life of Mr. Leonard has al- 
ways been exceedingly active. There has ne\'er l^een a time when he has n(jt 
been connected with the public life of his church in some particular. He has 
served long years as superintendent of the Sunday-school, and is at the pres- 
ent time advancing his interests in the important place of chorister. He is a 
man who carries out well the doctrines he believes in his every day life without 
the sound of trumpet or the display of banner. Fraternally he is a member 
of the order of Ben Hur. 

Samuel B. Leonard, the father of our subject, was born in Pennsyl- 
vania, March 27, 181 5. His grandfather was Robert Leonard, Sr., and his 
grandmother, Frances Bayless, both of whom were also natives of Washing- 
ton county, Pennsylvania. At the close of the war of 181 2 they removed to 
Columbiana county, Ohio, where they resided until 1837. At that date they 
came to Hancock county, where they purchased a half section of land 
in Big Lick township. This he divided between his two sons, Samuel B. 
and Silas. His family consisted of six children, four sons and two daugh- 
teers. He later made provisions for his sons William K. and Abner. The 
daughters were Elizabeth and Mary A. The parents were members of the 
Presbyterian church, and were the means in their day of the establishment 
of what is now known as the Enon Valley Presbyterian church. He was ex- 
ceedingly strict with his children and looked well to their moral develop- 
ment. He reared them in accordance with the divine injunction "Train a 
child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." 
He died in 1867, mourned by a devoted family and a large circle of friends. 
The wife had died some years previously, about 1854. 

Samuel B. Leonard was reared on the home farm, received his early 
education in Columbiana county, and removed with his wife to Hancock 
county in 1836, his parents coming here a year later. He continued his resi- 
dence on the same farm which he received from his father up to 1901. He 
was united in marriage to Miss Isabelle Curry in February, 1836. To this 
union there were born three children, Elizabeth F,, John C. and Robert L. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 6i 

John C, who was a member of Company A, Twenty-first Regiment, Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry, was captured at the battle of Chickamauga and spent a 
period at Libby prison, from which he was removed to Danville and finally 
to that dreadful den at Andersonville, where he was starved to death. The 
date is not known. Elizabeth is the wife of C. Garber, elsewhere sketched 
in this volume. Samuel B. Leonard has been connected w^ith the Methodist 
Episcopal church for over sixty years. In that time he has been very active 
in the service of the Master, having served a continuous period of over fifty 
years as class leader. His wife is a native of Columbiana county, Ohio, born 
November 29, 181 5. It will be of interest to mention in connection with 
this family sketch that the first husband of Mrs. Elizabeth Garber, Absalom 
Kleckner, was a member of Company A, Twenty-first Regiment, Ohio Vol- 
unteer Infantry, and was killed at the battle of Stone River. He was sent 
home and buried with military honors. 

It is hardly necessary to add that Robert L. Leonard and his family 
have the entire confidence of the community in which they reside, in which 
they are useful and loyal citizens. 

JOHN W. S. RIEGLE. 

The above named gentleman has succeeded well in the popular pro- 
fession adopted in youth, having served two terms as surveyor of Hancock 
county, and now 'being the city engineer of Findlay. His thorough educa- 
tion at the beginning, especially in mathematics, supplemented by subse- 
quent practical experience, has so qualified Mr. Riegle as to give him stand- 
ing as an expert in his calling, and one of the best civil engineers of his age 
in the state. He has given entire satisfaction by his work, both in public and 
private capacities, and being yet in the prime of life a successful and even 
brilliant future would seem to be before him. 

John W. S. Riegle, son of Elias and Catherine Riegle, was born at Ar- 
lington, Hancock county, Ohio, July 29, 1866, and received his training as 
well as his education in Madison township. Mr. Riegle, however, was de- 
sirous of something more than could be acquired in the country schools, so 
after leaving the latter he entered the Normal University at Ada, where he' 
took a thorough course and was graduated with the class of 1887. Still un- 
satisfied, Mr. Riegle subsequently took a post-graduate course in mathe- 
matics at Findlay College, after which he taught school several years in Han- 
cock county. His first venture in the line of his profession was as civil en- 
gfineer in the employment of the Ohio Central Railroad Company, with which 



62 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

he continued two years and did such satisfactory work as to receive com- 
mendation from his superiors. This performance led to promotion, as in 
1890 he was nominated and later elected to the office of surveyor of Hancock 
county. He discharged the duties of this position so thoroughly and satis- 
factorily that by general consent he was given the renomination of his party 
and had little difficulty in securing a reelection in 1893. After serving two 
terms in this office, amounting in all to a period of six years, Mr. Riegle was 
appointed city engineer of Findlay in 1896 and has since discharged the 
duties of that place with entire acceptability. 

In 1894 Mr. Riegle was married at Marysville, Ohio, to Miss Lorinda 
A., daughter of John and Susan Smalley, and their only son is named John 
William McKinley Riegle. After stating this fact it is hardly necessary to 
add that the father's political predilections are decidedly Republican, and he 
is usually at the front in campaign times among the most zealous workers 
for his party. His only fraternal connection is with the Masonic order. 

ISAAC INSLEY. 

The above named gentleman, wdiose postoffice address is Macomb, Ohio, 
is one of the thriving farmers of Hancock county, owning one hundred and 
ihirty-eight acres of well cultivated land in Portage township devoted to gen- 
eral farming. It is only necessary to look over this farm to see that the 
owner understands his business and deserves to rank with those whose en- 
terprise and progressive spirit have given Ohio such high rank among the 
agricultural states. His father, Zacharias Insley, a native of Ashland county, 
Ohio, wedded Esther Sowards of Virginia, and after marriage resided in his 
native county for some years, removing in 1870 to Hancock county. He pur- 
chased one hundred and forty acres of land in section 21 of Portage town- 
ship, which at the time w-as in a fair state of cultivation. Being an indus- 
trious and practical farmer he prospered measurably and in the course of 
years made his farm one of the most desirable of its size in his neighbor- 
hood. He was a moral and upright man, a member in good standing of the 
Methodist Episcopal church and so bore himself as to earn general esteem. 
He died in 1892 and his wife two years later, having become the parents of 
twelve children, of whom eight grew to maturity and six are still living. 
Among the latter is Isaac Insley, wdiose birth occurred in Seneca county, Ohio, 
April 29, 1837, ^"tl there he grew to manhood. In 1862 he enlisted in Com- 
pany D, One Hundred and Twenty-third Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 
with which he served gallantly and loyally until the close of the Civil war. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 63 

Among the important battles in which Mr. Insley participated were those at 
Winchester, Cedar Creek, Lynchburg, James River, Petersburg and Appo- 
mattox Court House, not to mention the innumerable skirmishes wHich fell to 
the lot of the command to which he belonged. l"he fact that he was detailed 
as a sharpshooter is evidence of Mr. Insley's high standing as a soldier and the 
estimate put upon his prudence and bravery by his commanding officers. More 
than once a commission was offered to him, but this Mr. Insley declined, be- 
ing satisfied to do his duty as a soldier in the ranks. After a most creditable 
military career, during uhich he made a faultless record, this brave young- 
soldier was honorably discharged from the service in 1865. 

Isaac Insley was thirty-three years of age when his parents located in 
Hancock county. Eight years previous to this he had purchased about sixty 
acres of land in Portage township, to which he subsequently added until his 
entire holdings amounted to one hundred and thirty-eight acres. This land 
land he has cultivated most industriously and intelligently since taking posses- 
sion and his affairs have been generally prosperous. In September, 1870, Mr. 
Insley married Elizabeth A. Smith, who was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, 
November 10, 1848. Her parents were John W. and Catherine Smith, the 
former born May 15, 181 5, and the latter in Virginia, October 25, 1804. In 
1 85 1 they removed to Hancock county and some years later located on a 
farm of eighty acres which Mr. Smith had purchased in Pleasant township. 
On this home place they both ended their days after useful lives, during which 
they played their parts well and earned general esteem. The union of Isaac 
and Elizabeth A. Insley proved both happy and fruitful, their children num- 
bering nine, of whom seven are living. These, with the dates of their re- 
spective births, are thus recorded in the family Bible: J. W., in 1871 ; Al- 
bert M., in 1873; Cora B., in 1875; Rosetta M., in 1878; Harley L., in 1882; 
(jeorge R., in 1887; and Lester R., in 1895. In addition to her husband's 
property, Mrs. Insley owns thirty-six acres in her own right. Besides her 
virtues as a housewife and mother, she is a lady of excellent judgment and 
good business qualities. Including both parents and children, the Insleys 
constitute a worthy and deserving family. 

GEORGE B. RLAOIELL. 

A native of the county of Hancock, Ohio, and a descendant from one of 
the pioneer settlers of the state is George B. Rummell, who was born at Find- 
lay, Ohio, in 1868, and was there reared and educated, and has lived there all 
his life, with the exception of about three years, 1893. 1894 and 1895. which 



64 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

he spent at Ottawa, Ohio. After leaving school in Findlay, Ohio, Mr. Rum- 
mell entered the Ohio Veterinary College at Cincinnati, Ohio, and gradu- 
ated from there in 1893. After leaving the college he decided to locate at 
Ottawa, and resided there for three years, but learning that there was an 
opening for a livery stable at Findlay, he returned to his native towMi in Jan- 
uary, 1896, and opened up in the livery business, which he now carries on, 
and for which he is peculiarly fitted, being a great lover of good horses, and 
thoroughly understanding their control and management and never so happy 
as when, holding the lines over one of his high steppers, he takes a friend 
for a spin along the drive. Mr. Rummell is a member of the County Agri- 
cultural Board of Hancock county, Ohio, where his knowledge of a good 
horse is well known and highly appreciated. Socially he belongs to the 
Odd Fellows, and in politics is an active Republican and interested in the 
welfare of his party. 

]\Ir. Rummell's father, David Rummell, was born in Columbiana county, 
Ohio, in 1828, and after a useful and industrious life spent at his chosen 
work, he died in December, 1896. He was a furniture dealer, and was also 
ihe father of W. R. Rummell, whose record appears elsewhere in this volume. 

George B. Rummell was married in Findlay, Ohio, in 1888, to Etta, 
daughter of C. B. Struve, of Toledo, Ohio, and they are the parents of two 
children, as follows: Earl D., born in 1890, and Harry B., born in 1897. 
Mr. Rummell is progressive and energetic, happy in his home and prosper- 
ous in his business, a worthy citizen of Findlay, Ohio, and known and re- 
spected throughout Hancock county. 

HENRY BYAL. 

To have attained to the extreme fulness of 3'ears and to have one's view- 
broadened to a comprehension of all that has been accomplished within 
the flight of manv days, is of itself a sufficient cause for a consideration of 
such a life, but in the case at hand the tribute is all the more merited from the 
fact that it concerns a career of usefulness, of exalted honor, of charity, and 
one never darkened by wrong or injustice. It must ever be regarded as a mat- 
ter of regret that when an aged man of historical importance has been gathered 
to his father's later generations have not been given a more intimate knowl- 
edge of his personality and his actions ; that the lips have been silenced which 
might have told of incidents that had marked bearing on the thought and 
action of scenes of the past; and that there is denied a familiarity with the 
ambitions and struggles of his vouth and the. more crucial trials of his later 





^U,;::^^^ 





^^J4^ /3^^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 65 

years. It is thus gratifying to enter a tribute to this venerable and honored 
citizen of Hancock county and to note the sahent points in his long and useful 
life, whose declining days are crowned with well earned prosperity. 

Grandfather William Byal was a native of Maryland and died in 1840 
when at the age of sixty-seven years; his son, John Byal, was also born in that 
state in 1791 and died in 1853. These are the forebears of Henry Byal, and 
it is evident that the family were established in this country during the colonial 
epoch. The birth of Henry Byal occurred in Stark county, Ohio, ]\'Iarch 23, 
1817, thus being a representative of one of the pioneer families of the Buckeye 
state. He remained in his native county, at an early day began to contribute 
his share to the work of the farm, and attended the country school as oppor- 
tunity offered, although his educational training was very meagre after he was 
fifteen years old. In March, 1832, his father brought him to Hancock county, 
locating m Findlay township about three miles west of the city of the same 
name; he erected a saw mill there and two }'ears later built a grist mill. There 
young Byal lived and labored for about se\-en years ; he then secured employ- 
ment in connection with the construction of the Wabash canal and during the 
ensuing winter worked on the St. Mary's reservoir in Mercer county. Until 
he was twenty-five years old he was engaged in various occupations. At 
that age he was married and after that he was employed on a farm in this 
county for four years. He was continually forging ahead in the world and 
his next venture was in the merchandising business in Ottawa, Putnam county, 
where he remained for eighteen months and also served as postmaster. He 
next engaged in business at Pendleton, Putnam county, where he continued 
for three years, and in 1853 came to Findlay. From this time up to the pres- 
ent he has been actively concerned in farming, has accumulated much valuable 
real estate in the county and has now retired from active affairs and enjoys 
the repose and freedom from care which are the rewards of toil. 

Mr. Byal was elected to the office of justice of the peace in 1854; he wa"s 
the candidate of the Democratic party and his personal popularity is shown 
in the fact that he overcame the usual Republican majority of about six hun- 
dred. He held this office for nine years and was one of the excellent public 
officials of the county during that period. For many years Mr. Byal has been 
a devoted member of the Presbyterian church, and has always been generous 
in aiding its work. Mr. Byal's first marriage occurred in March, 1842, to 
Dorothy Comer, who was born in Fairfield count}^, Ohio. Her parents were 
Isaac and Hannah (Gulp) Gomer. Her father was born in the Shenandoah 
valley in Virginia in 1793. and died September 3, 1852, on the farm three 
miles west of Findlay, while her mother was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, 



66 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

as far back as 1803, and died on the old Comer farm in 1830. Isaac Comer 
married for his second wife Hannah Burton, with whom he came to Hancock 
county from Lancaster, Fairfield county, in 1832. Four children were born 
to Mrs. Dorothy (Comer) Byal, but she died in i860, and all of her children 
have also passed away. As a memorial to his family Mr. Byal bequeathed 
the munificent sum of twenty thousand dollars, with which the Byal ]\Iemorial 
Chapel was completed in 1901, a beautiful tribute to those whom he loved so 
well. Tn 1 86 1 Mr. Byal took as his second wife Mary Lamb, who was his 
faithful companion for thirty years, and passed away in 1900, leaving no chil- 
dren. On February 7, 1901, Mr. Byal became the husband of Lydia J. Eaton, 
who is his devoted partner for the remainder of life's journey. She has been 
engaged for forty years at Findlay in the mercantile and millinery trade. 

JOHN B. HEIMHOFER. 

The above named gentleman, during his life of less than forty years, 
lias achieved a notable success in various lines of business, including those of 
oil producing, farming, banking and mining. He comes from an old Swiss 
family, both his grandfather and parents being natives of the famous Al- 
pine republic. The latter, whose names were John M. and Agatha (Miller) 
Heimhofer, married in Switzerland and had three children : John B. ; Fred 
H. and Ida. John B. Heimhofer, the eldest son, was born in Switzerland in 
1863 and when still quite young was brought to America by his parents, who 
located in what was then Luzerne, now Lackawanna county, Pennsylvania. 
The father became interested in the oil business, then a leading industry in 
the Keystone state, and one in which his son was destined later to achieve 
success. The latter attended a select school at Archibald and by the time he 
was seventeen years old had acquired a fair education. About that time he 
accompanied his parents to McKean county, and the family found a location 
at the little oil town of Red Rock, where our subject remained and worked 
about two years in the butchering business. He soon abandoned this, how- 
ever, to engage in teaming in the oil field and soon realizing the possibilities 
for profitable investment in this line he lost no time in seeking connection 
therewith. In partnership with his brother Fred and E. V. Wyssbrod, Mr. 
Heimhofer purchased a lease in McKean county, and the firm entered vig- 
orously into the business of oil producing. On the original lease, and others 
subsequently obtained, they owned in all about eleven wells. Eventually, 
the partners disposed of all their holdings in Pennsylvania and transferred 
their scene of operations to Ohio. In November, 1886, they opened a 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 67 

hardware store in Findlay under the firm name of Wyssbrod & Co., which 
continued business about three years, meantime resuming their original oc- 
cupation of oil producers. After the dissolution of the mercantile partner- 
ship, Mr. Heimhofer continued in the production of oil on his own account, 
and in 1899 bought a farm which he has since operated. Together with his 
brother Fred and E. V. Wyssbrod, he is also interested in zinc mines at Jop- 
lin, Missouri, and mineral lands in Arkansas. 

When the Commercial Bank and Savings Company was organized at 
Findlay in 1901, Mr. Fleimhofer was elected vice president, a position which 
he still retains. He is also a director in the Toledo Times, a daily morning 
paper, published in the famous lake port at the mouth of the Maumee. 

In October, 1898, was solemnized the marriage of John B. Heimhofer 
and Miss Rosetta, daughter of R. W. Boyd, all of Findlay, Ohio. Two chil- 
dren have been born of this union, John Russell and Bessie M., of whom the 
former died in infancy. Mr. Heimhofer has served one term in the city 
council of Findlay as a representative of the Republican party, and his fra- 
ternal connections are confined to membership in the Benevolent and Pro- 
tective Order of Elks. His standing in the business world is amply de- 
monstrated by the important positions to which he has been chosen and so- 
cially himself and family have the entree to the best society of Findlay. 

JOHN L. KISSEBERTH. 

Among the younger generation of farmers who have been operating 
during the last two decades in Hancock county, the above mentioned has 
taken rank as one of the most progressive and deserving. He owns a hand- 
V.ome farm in Blanchard township, which he has managed and cultivated in 
such a way as to show that he is a complete master of his business and is not 
unworthy of comparison with the wideawake farmers for wdiich Hancock 
county is noted. He is the son of Gabriel and Elizabeth Kisseberth, who 
were at one time residents of Hancock county, where the former owned and 
operated fifty acres of farming land. Later he removed to Putnam county 
and carried on a mercantile business at Gilboa, but at present is residing at 
Fostoria, where he leads a retired life. His first wife, Elizabeth, died Au- 
gust 2, 1 86 1, and subsequently he w^as again married to the lady who now 
shares his home in retirement. 

John L. Kisseberth, son of the first marriage, was born in Gilboa, 
in Putnam county. May 10, 1859, and received his education in the schools 
of his native place and Hancock county. After he grew^ up he entered his 



68 CENTENNIAL. BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

father's store, where in the capacity of clerk he assisted for several years in 
conducting the business. When he reached the age of twenty-one, however, 
he decided to abandon the mercantile for agricultural life, a step which was 
preceded by the selection of a partner to share his joys and sorrows. August 
I, 1880, he was united in marriage with Miss America B., daughter of B. B. 
and Elizabeth Powell, substantial farmers of Hancock county, where the 
family had long been established. Shortly after his marriage, Mr. Kisse- 
berth purchased from his father-in-law the seventy-nine acres of land which 
constitute his present homestead in Blanchard township, and to the manage- 
ment of which he has since devoted all his time. He has made many im- 
provements, chief among which was the erection of buildings suitable for 
his business, and the place is now attractive in appearance, everything indi- 
cating good management and orderly arrangement. 

Mr. and Mrs. Kisseberth have had four children: Jessie V., Charles F., 
Edwin L. (deceased) and Lewis C. Jessie V., the eldest daughter, is now^ 
the wife of Aaron Slupe, a farmer of Pleasant township. Mr. and Mrs. 
Kisseberth are meuibers of the Methodist Episcopal church and take an ac- 
tive interest in all matters concerning the work of that extensive denomina- 
tion. As a farmer, Mr. Kisseberth is up-to-date in all his operations, prac- 
tical in his methods and believes in keeping up with all modern improvements. 
He devotes himself to general agriculture, cultivating all the standard crops 
and raising the usual variety of stock found on Ohio farms. He does nOt 
branch out into experiments or "fads" but adheres to the safe system which 
experience show^s is productive of the best results. 

MnXARD C. COWLEY. 

For twelve years the gentleman whose name appears as the subject of 
this sketch has been the agent at Findlay for the United States Express Com- 
pany. This is a position which brings its occupant into close and frequent 
contact with the public, and his personality, as well as his business qualifica- 
tions, are subject to close scrutiny and criticism. Few positions require more 
e\-enness of temper, self-possession and urbanity in the discharge of its duties, 
and only those men well equipped with the equalities mentioned will meet the 
requirements satisfactorily. Mr. Cowley, however, by his long tenure has 
evidently "filled the bill," and the reasons therefor are well understood by the 
people of Findlay whose affairs take them to the express office. Mr. Cowley 
understands how to dispatch business expeditiously as well as courteously, 
and by his general bearing has obtained the respect as well as the friendship 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 69 

of the city's entire population. He comes of excellent stock and traces his line- 
age through an ancestry that was always loyal and patriotic during the "days 
that tried men's souls." Jonathan Cowley, his grandfather, was born in Ire- 
land in 1752 and thirteen years later came to America with his father, St. 
Leger Cowley, who located in Scoharie, Delaware county. New York. About 
eleven years after the arrival of these Scotcli-Irish emigrants in the then col- 
onies, the great American Revolution began in the war for independence and 
the Cowleys, true to the instincts of their race, espoused the cause of liberty. 
St. Leger Cowley was appointed adjutant of the Fifth New York Regiment 
of Continental troops and his son Jonathan joined the same command as a 
private. Both fought gallantly through ail the seven years of that terrible 
confhct, and participated in the many dangers, privations and trials which 
fell to the soldiers who were making the fight for freedom. 

After reading the foregoing record of honorable service at the period 
when the great republic had its birth, none will deny that our subject has a 
clear title to membership in the patriotic order of the Sons of the American 
Revolution. He does not, however, rest his claim for consideration upon an- 
cestry, but what he has been able to do himself and he has certainly proved 
by his conduct that he is not an unworthy son of worthy sires. Millard C. 
Cowley was born at Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania, in 1851, but was taken later 
by his parents to Addison, New York, where lie was reared and educated. 
This New York town continued to be his home until he had reached the age 
of twenty-six and his mature years were spent in work upon the farm until 
1874. In that year he was offered and accepted a position as clerk in the ofi^ice 
of the Erie Railroad Company at Addison. He remained in this employment 
for six years and during that time received the training and obtained the ex- 
perience which fitted him for the duties which he has since so well performed 
in his chosen vocation. In 1880 Mr. Cowley went to Allentown as agent for 
the United States Express Company but only remained there six months, 
being transferred to Elmira in the same state to become joint agent for the 
United States and Adams Express Companies at the union station. He held 
this position until 1886, when he was sent to Olean, New York, to take charge 
of the business at that point of the United States Express Company. After 
an experience of three years in this location, Mr. Cowley was transferred by 
his employes to Ypsilanti, Michigan, and remained their agent there until 
1890, when he came to Findlay as agent of the United States Express Com- 
pany and has ever since continued to represent that corporation at this point. 
The best evidence of a man's efficiency is long continued employment by the 
same people, especially when the employers are of the exacting- kind found at 



70 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

the head of all great business corporations, whose immense interests and count- 
less ramifications can only be satisfactorily attended to by trained and expert 
talent. Such a man has evidently been found in the person of Mr. Cowley 
and not only by continuous retention but in many other ways he has received 
evidence of the esteem and approval of his superiors. October i, 1902, Mr. 
Cowley was promoted to the position of route agent for the company in the 
second division, comprising the states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois, 
with headquarters at Findlay. 

While residing in Addison, New York, in 1877, Mr. Cowdey was united 
in marriage with Miss Nellie M. Mullen, a worthy young lady of that city, 
and their union has been blessed by the birth of one daughter, Florence M. 
The family are members of the Presbyterian church and enjoy cordial rela- 
tions wdth the best society of Findlay. 

DAVID SHERICK. 

David Sherick, retired farmer, has spent almost his entire life in agri- 
cultural pursuits, and only put away the plow- and laid down the hoe within 
the last two or three years, wdien, feeling old age creeping on him, he decided 
to move into town, and enjoy some of the comforts for which he had labored 
so long and industriously. It is the men who, like David Sherick, have 
v.orked early and late, year in and year out, tilling the soil and feeding the 
cattle, wdio have given Ohio the proud name which she bears of being such a 
great agricultural state and haA^e enabled her to rank so high in this respect. 

David Sherick was born on a farm in Wayne county, Ohio, in 1831, 
where he lived until he was twenty-tw^o years of age. His childish mem- 
ories take him back to the days of log school houses, and wide open stretches 
of country, — country which looked just as fertile in those days, but which as 
yet had not been under cultivation, for settlers were few and far between in 
those times, and Ohio was one of the new states which had been carved out 
of the Northwest territory some years before. Mr. Sherick lived the life of 
the average farmer's boy, in the winter time attending school and looking 
after the cattle, and in the summer, plowing and harvesting the grain. When 
he w^as twenty-two he left the home farm and started out in life for himself, 
going to Liberty township, Hancock county, where he bought a farm and 
built him a home, and a little later, brought a wife, and there they toiled and 
saved, taking life a little easier as the years went by, and the children grew 
up and shared their burdens: and finally, in 1899, they moved into Findlay to 
spend the remainder of their days. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 71 

Mr. Sherick was married December 28, 1854, in Liberty township, Han- 
cock county, Ohio, to Catherine, daughter of George Heck, and they have 
had nine children, of whom seven are now hving, as foHows : Peter; Bar- 
bara, wife of T. C. Boyd; Martha, wife of R. M. Poe; Irene, wife of N. L. 
Acocks; Emma, wife of I. L. McGee; John H., and Maud. Mr. Sherick is a 
member of the Church of God, and in his pohtics has been a hfe-long Re- 
pubhcan. 

Our subject's father was Peter Sherick, born in Fayette count, Penn- 
sylvania, December 5, 1798, and died June 14, 1886. He, too, was a "tiller of 
the soil," and our subject, David was his only son. Our subject's grand- 
father was Christian Sherick, wdio was born in Pennsylvania and died there. 
The Sherick family is of German descent. 

Mr. Sherick has lived a useful and industrious life, has managed his 
business affairs with intelligence and is now one of the prosperous farmers 
of the community, taking his well earned rest and enjoying the society of his 
children and friends. 

HENRY STOUGH. 

Henry Stough, a prosperous farmer and dairyman, residing in Cass 
township, Hancock county, Ohio, owns here a valuable farm of one hundred 
and thirty-nine acres and carries on extensive farming operations in con- 
junction with a very profitable dairy business. 

The birth of Henry Stough was on April 12, 1844, in .\shland county, 
Ohio, and he is a son of George and Catherine Stough, who came to Han- 
cock county, Ohio, in 1853, when Henry was nine years of age. George 
Stough was born on the Monongahela river, in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, 
on March 27, 1815, and he was a son of Moses and Mary (Riddle) Stough, 
both natives of Pennsylvania, the former being a son of George Stough, of 
German descent. Moses Stough removed from Pennsylvania to Ashland 
county, Ohio, in 181 8, when his son George was three years old. By trade he 
was a cooper and this trade he followed during the years of his active life, 
and died in Allen township, this county, at the age of eighty-three years. 

As mentioned George Stough came to Hancock county in 1853, and 
here became a practical and successful farmer. He was a man of exemplary 
life and character and was much respected and beloved in his locality, uni- 
versal regret being felt when his death occurred in June, 1898. His mar- 
riage was to Catherine Gierhart, and they had a family of ten children, the 
survivors being : Eliza, Daniel, Henry and Christian. 



72 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Henry Stough, our subject, attended school in his early years, as op- 
portunity offered. He has always been more interested in agricultural pur- 
suits than in anything else and has succeeded most admirably in his labors. 
In 1867 he purchased his present farm and has since then been engaged in its 
development. 

December 14, 1865, he was married to Susannah, daughter of Josiah 
and Mary Shafer, who was born in Stark county, Ohio, in 1846, and was an 
infant in her mother's arms when she entered Hancock county. She had 
three brothers in the Civil war, Hiram, Mordecai and Samuel, the two first 
named belonging to the Twenty-first Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 
and the last named to a Kansas regiment. Each served his country long and 
well and were honorably discharged. 

The children born to our subject and wife were but two in number, Hen- 
rietta and William. The latter died in boyhood, his death being indeed a sad 
blow to his parents, as he promised to grow into a most estimable man. Hen- 
rietta married G. E. Watchtel, and they have two children, — Merle and Cor- 
inne. Mrs. Stough died August 3, 1902. 

Mr. Stough is one of the much respected citizens of his township and is 
known for his excellent farming and fine methods of dairying, over a large 
part of this section. He keeps twenty-five cows for milk, of a breed noted for 
its richness of cream and milk, and his output finds a very ready sale. In 
politics Mr. Stough is a Democrat. 

ABRAHAM BROWN. 

This honored and prominent representative of the farming and stock- 
raising interests of Hancock county is one of the successful men in that line 
of business. His pleasant and commodious home is situated in Washington 
township, where he conducts a farm of one hundred and forty acres, where he 
is possessed of all that a prosperous farmer needs to satisfy every wish. He is 
the son of Martin and Catlierine (Leady) Brown, the father having located 
in Washington township in about 1835, on his farm of about one hundred 
and sixty acres. Both Martin Bro\vn and his wife were natives of the Key- 
stone state, where they married, and soon removed to Knox county, Ohio, 
locating in Hancock comity, Ohio, in the year above stated. He was a hard 
working and industrious man, clearing all his land, as did many other pio- 
neers in that early day, and combining good sound business judg- 
ment with fine physical health and a will to labor, he became a very 
successful representative of the farming interests. He was an honest and up- 




ABRAHAM BROWH. 



:ARS. ABRAHAM BROWK. 



JOHN BROWN. 
CHARLES BROWN. MRS. CHARLES BROWN. 



CHARLES VOITLE, 



ROBERT VOITLE. 



MRS. CHARLES YOITLE. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 71 

right man in all of his dealings with his neighbors, was a member of the Ger- 
man Baptist church, and in politics favored the policies of the Republican 
party. The family that was born to him consisted of ten children, nine of 
whom are living at this writing and three of this number reside in Hancock 
county, as follows : Mrs. Elizabeth Meyers, Mrs. Sarah Jacobs, and Abra- 
ham Brown, the immediate subject of this sketch, 

Mr. Brown passed his early boyhood in the exacting labor of farm life 
in that early day, and received his primary education in the district school of 
his native township. As a lad he performed the duties required of a boy of 
his size on his father's farm, and developed that sturdiness of character which 
generally attaches to the ordinary country youth. When that dreadful calam- 
ity which cast a dark cloud over the face of our country, occurred, the firing 
on Fort Sumter^ Abraham Brown was not old enough to do duty in the field, 
but his young mind was in close sympathy with the cause of Old Glory. As 
the months sped on and the cloud darkened, Mr, Brown became matured by 
sheer patriotism and in September, 1862, willingly gave himself a sacrifice to 
his country, serving the remaining three years of the war. He enlisted as a 
private in Company A, Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and which 
regiment became a part of the Army of the Cumberland. He followed the 
flag through twenty-three general engagements, besides participating in a 
large number of lesser battles and skirmishes. Following is a brief mention 
of tlie principal actions in which he was engaged : Stone River, Chickamauga 
(where he lost the second finger of his left hand), Resaca, Bald Knob, Kene- 
saw Mountain and Atlanta. He participated in that thrilling and victorious 
march of the man who denominated war as "hell," and returning north on the 
victorious march of that chieftain, he was mustered out at Louisville and re- 
turned to his home with the consciousness of having performed his whole duty 
to his beloved country. During the services he was promoted from the private 
ranks for meritorious services on the field to duty sergeant. He received an 
honorable discharge and was paid off at Columbus, Ohio, in July, 1865. Mr. 
Brown took up the thread of life just where it had been broken when he went 
to the army. Returning to his school and to his books, he fitted himself for 
a future life of usefulness Upon leaving school the first business in which he 
became interested was in the line of dry goods at West Independence. It was 
here that Mr. Brown chose as a companion and helpmate on life's journey 
Miss Rebecca A. Newhouse, the marriage occurring in the year 1868. Three 
children came to brighten their home: John C, born in 1869; Abbie A, 1871 ; 
and Charles M., in 1879. This latter boy inherited the patriotism of his father 
and offered himself to his country in its late unpleasantness' with Spain. Fie 



74 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

enlisted for two years in Company H, Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He 
was a faithful soldier and was honorably discharged at Macon, Georgia. The 
mother of this family, Miss Rebecca Brown, was born in Washington town- 
ship, Hancock county, in 1851. She has proved to her husband a faithful 
companion and helpmate in life's journey, and her sound advice and assistance 
were important factors in his prosperity. 

Mr. Brown takes an active part in politics, and while he is a stanch Re- 
publican, he will not tolerate what he thinks is an act of duplicity on the part 
of his colleagues. About 1875, when his own party leaders displeased him, 
he formed a new party in his own township, known as the Farmers' Alliance. 
This was subsequently merged into the People's Party, a convention of this 
party having been held under the leadership of Mr. Brown in 1896, in Arcadia. 
Owing to his masterful direction, this movement was successful until 1896, 
Avhen it was absorbed by the Democratic party, at which time and date our 
subject returned to his old love, the Republican party, and of which he is now 
a stanch supporter. 

Mr. Brown is a man much above the average intelligence, and a promoter 
and supporter of many progressive and commendable enterprises. He has 
paid a marked tribute to the rural mail free delivery in the erection of two 
beautiful and conspicuous pillars, one on either side of his gateway. On each 
of these pillars is painted a figure, one representing "Uncle Sam," and the 
other "Abe" Brown. Mr. Brown enjoys the full confidence and esteem of 
his fellow citizens, and well deserves representation in this volume. 

WILLIAM MONTGOMERY. 

The ancestry of the family of this name, which for more than half a 
century has been identified with the agricultural development of Orange and 
Van Buren townships, is gi\'en in the sketch of John Montgomery, which ap- 
pears on another page of this volume. It is there told how they descended 
from an Irish emigrant who fought in the Revolutionary war and left de- 
scendants in western Pennsylvania, who later settled in eastern Ohio. Will- 
iam Montgomery, above mentioned, is a brother of John and was the eighth 
of the twelve children born to William and Sarah (Fonts) Montgomery after 
their settlement in Columbiana county in the early part of the last century. 
His birth occurred on his father's pioneer farm in the hills of eastern Ohio, 
April 17, 1833, and he remained in that section until he had reached his ma- 
jority. As his brothers had migrated to Hancock some years before, he 
naturally followed in their wake, hoping for better opportunities than were 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 75 

afforded in his native locality. In 1854 he arrived in Hancock county, and 
for a short time worked on his brother Albert's farm in Orange township, 
and continued to work as a farm laborer for different parties during the next 
two years. A family by the name of Brannan had come from Trumbull 
county, Ohio, and taken up land in Orange township, and among their chil- 
dren was a daughter named Elizabeth. She was a child at the time of her 
arrival, and was reared and educated in her new home in Hancock county. 
In 1855 William Montgomery and Elizabeth Brannan were united in mar- 
riage, and lived together as man and wife for nearly forty years in utmost 
affection and harmony. For a while after marriage the young couple lived 
in Orange township, but in i860 Mr. Montgomery bought land in section 36, 
Van Buren township, to which they soon removed and commenced the diffi- 
cult task of clearing. It was situated in the woods, was wholly unimproved 
and to any one not possessed of the pioneer spirit would have presented any- 
thing but a pleasing prospect. Mr. Montgomery, however, soon had a log 
house thrown up and a stable built of the same rude materials, and securing 
a few needed animals he set manfully to work to carve for himself a home 
out of this wilderness. The way was long and the road was hard, but he 
finally arrived, as men of the right kind of "grit" in those days generally did. 
Any one who visits section 36 in VanBuren township may see at a glance the 
magical changes that have been effected by Mr. Montgomery's industry, de- 
termination and dogged perseverance. The log cabin has long since given 
place to a comfortable brick residence; the former wildwood has been trans- 
formed into smiling meadows or bounteous grain fields ; what was once marsh 
or swamp, under the modern system of tiling and ditching, has been converted 
into dry land suitable for cultivation. On this farm Mr. Montgomery has 
been living for forty-seven years, and though he has experienced all the ups 
and downs incident to agricultural pursuits he has done well on the whole 
and has a comfortable competence to smooth the decline of life. His good 
wife, who was a member of the Disciples church and always an exemplary 
Christian, closed her earthly career on August i, 1894. Of their seven chil- 
dren two died in infancy, but the other five grew to maturity and are now 
doing well in their different spheres of life. Dr. Wesley Montgomery, the 
eldest son, is practicing medicine with success at Ada, in Hardin county, 
Ohio; Clara, the eldest daughter, married James E. Pore and is living with 
her husband on Logan avenue in Findlay; John, the second son and third 
child, pastor of the First Presbyterian church of Findlay; W. L., the fourth, 
resides on the old home farm ; and Frank, the youngest, a resident of Ada, is 
mail clerk on the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad. Mr. Mont- 



70 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

gomery is respected by all, not only as one of the county's pioneer farmers^ 
but because in all the relations of life, both as a neighbor and citizen, he has 
done his full duty in assisting to build up the community. Mr. Montgomery 
was a Democrat until 1896, when he voted the Republican ticket. 

SAMUEL H. ELSEA. 

One of the well known and respected farmers of Jackson township, Sam- 
uel Henry Elsea, is a representative of an honored pioneer family of Hancock 
county that was established here when conditions were very different from 
those now existing. The green woods stood as they came from the hand of na- 
ture and few roads penetrated into the forest. The homes of the settlers were 
widely scattered and the tents of the red 'men were frequently seen, while 
bears, wolves and other wild animals haunted the forest. Deer were frequently 
shot by the hunter and lesser wild game was often upon the table of the pion- 
eers. Farm implements were very crude compared to those of the present day 
and the most far-sighted could hardly ha^^e imagined the changes which would 
occur and make Hancock county a thickly settled region, rich in fine farms 
and thriving towns. The Elsea family bore their part in the work of improve- 
ment and development here and like the others of the family the subject of 
this review has always been known as a worthy and progressive citizen, as 
he has carried on his work along agricultural lines. 

Samuel Henry Elsea was born April 18, 1838, on the old family home- 
stead in Eagle township, being the third in order of birth among the children 
that came to that household. His father, Moses Elsea, was born April 24, 
181 2, in Virginia, a son of William and Mary Elsea, the former a native of 
Virginia and the latter of Maryland. William Elsea followed teaming in 
his native state and afterward removed to Pickaway county, Ohio, where his 
death occurred. In his family were ten sons and two daughters. Among the 
number was George, who lived for a short time in Hancock county, but after- 
ward located in Putnam county; William, who resided for a few years in Eagle 
township and then went to Putnam county ; and James, who lived and died 
in Eagle township, and his son Jacob is still living there. 

After the death of the father Moses Elsea became responsible for the fam- 
ily, the other sons being much younger. He brought his mother, his younger 
brothers and his sisters to this county, and the mother spent her remaining 
days in Eagle township, reaching an advanced age. Moses Elsea was married 
in Pickaway county, January 14, 1833, to Mary Ann Oman, who was born in 
that county, June 27, 1815, a daughter of Moses and Elizabeth Oman, who 





^'^<S^t^ G^^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 77 

were natives of Pennsyh-ania and at an early clay located in Pickaway county. 
They had a large family, of whom two sons, John and Peter, came to Han- 
cock county, while Sarah married John Knight and both died in Eagle town- 
ship, and Elizabeth became the wife of Clement Jester and lived in this county 
until her husband's death. Moses Oman was the owner of an extensive farm 
in Pickaway county. In Hancock county he entered one hundred and 
sixty acres of land for each of his two sons, John and Peter, and eighty 
acres for his daughter, Mary Ann. All three came to the county in 
the spring of 1834, settling upon their land. They had to cut their 
way through the woods for miles, so wild and unimproved was this 
district. The brothers had a good team, but the father of our subject 
performed his farm work in an early day with ox teams. John and 
Peter Oman each built a good cabin. Their father came with them on 
their first trip in order to see them comfortably established and usually visited 
them once a year after that. After his death, which occurred in Pickaway 
county, his widow lived with her children in this county, spending her last 
years with her daughter, Mary Ann. She died suddenly in the night when 
about eighty years of age. The farms of the Oman brothers and their sister 
all adjoined, but they had lived in the county for several years before they 
had any neighbors, ^^'hen Plenry Falk, Alfred Ralston and Abram William- 
son located within two or three miles of them. It was some time before they 
knew anything of Findlay, where they afterward did their milling. For the 
first season they made their own living off the land. The woods were full 
of game so that they had an ample supply of venison and wild fowls. Many 
bears were also in the forests and wolves were frequently heard howling around 
their cabin homes, sometimes even jumping against the door. 

After his marriage Moses Elsea devoted his attention to the work of 
clearing his farm, and after getting a start in this way he also did some team- 
ing to Sandusky and Upper Sandusky, hauling his own produce to market 
there and bringing goods back on the return trips. He soon began to buy 
more land, and also purchased the farm of John Oman, who removed to 
Indiana. He added other tracts from time to time and also assisted others 
who wished to make purchases, including his brother, William, and his 
brother-in-law, David Loy. He gave each of his sons a farm and yet at the 
time of his death still had between four and five hundred acres of land. He 
lived to see all of his children married and with homes of their own which he 
had assisted them in obtaining. His estate, at the time of his demise, was 
valued at between fifty and sixty thousand dollars, and yet all through his life 
he had been most generous in helping others, and had given away much money 



78 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

and land. Mr. Elsea had no educational advantages in his youth, JDut after 
he was married he learned to read, and through reading, observation and 
experience he continually broadened his knowledge and kept well informed on 
all public questions of his day. In politics he was a Democrat until the organ- 
ization of the Republican party, when he joined its ranks. He retained the 
management of his business affairs as long as he lived, and continued his farm 
work until within a few years of his death, when he removed with his wife to 
Findlay, spending his last days there in quiet retirement. Even on the night 
he died he chatted cheerfully, seemingly being in usual good spirits. He had 
been ailing for some days previously, but no one thought death was so near. 
He died March 30, 1885, and his wife passed away in Findlay April 11, 1884. 
They had eight sons and four daughters. 

The subject was reared under the parental roof, and bore his part in the 
work of the farm, thus gaining a practical experience of farm work that 
enabled him to carry on business for himself in a profitable manner when he 
had attained his majority. As a companion for life's journey he chose Miss 
Margaret Ella Line, a daughter of Conrad and Catherine Line, of Eagle town- 
ship, where she was born July 19, 1841. They were married October iS, 
i860, and in the spring of 1862 came to their present farm, which was then 
in the woods. He was drafted for service in the war and went to Lima, but 
his brother, Newton, was determined to go if Samuel did, so that it was 
arranged that Newton should go as his substitute. This cost him four hun- 
dred and fifty dollars, whereas if he had gone he would have received twelve 
hundred dollars from others. He also had to pay about three hundred and 
fifty dollars each year to his father for land, and other expenses had to be met, 
but prices were high about that time and he had considerable walnut and other 
timber on his place, the sales of which brought to him excellent returns. Thus 
he was enabled to meet the payments on his place, and inside of five years he 
found himself ahead on his payments and began to build a barn. He lived in 
his original cabin until he erected his present brick residence, and as his 
financial resources increased he bought more land on the state road near Find- 
lay. He also made other purchases, and has given to each of his children a 
good tract of land or its equivalent, while he still has one hundred and fifty 
acres in the old homestead and one hundred and twenty acres in another farm, 
while his wife has forty acres in Eagle township. He has bred good stock — 
sheep, hogs, horses and cattle, and his sales of stock have annually augmented 
his income. He believes in tiling, and has therefore drained his land until it 
is very productive, and everything about the place is kept in first-class con- 
dition. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 79 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Elsea have been born four children who are yet hving, 
and they lost one. Lorena Ellsworth, born October 25, 1865, died May 25, 
1880. Conrad Moses, born February 5, 1862, is a farmer of Jackson town- 
ship, and married Amanda Beard, by whom he has two children, Samuel Mer- 
ley and Charles. Mary C, born August 8, 1863, is the wife of Albert Lincoln 
Miller, of Findlay. Lucinda and Matilda, twins, were born July 31, 1872. 
The former is the wife of Charles Shank, of Jackson township, and their chil- 
dren are Carl Henry and Edna. Matilda is the wife of Josiah Pepple, a farmer 
of Jackson township, and they have two sons, Ezra Lloyd and Albert Lau- 
rence. 

In 1856 Mr. Elsea voted for Fremont and has since remained a stanch 
Republican in national affairs, but at local elections does not consider himself 
bound by party ties. When fifteen years of age he became a member of the 
Methodist Episcopal church and both he and his wife are now identified with 
Center Chapel, although she was connected with the United Brethren church 
for a number of years. Mr. Elsea has in his possession the old family Bible, 
and a valuable watch, which was carried by his father when a young man 
and which he himself carried several years. It was then worn in turn by all 
the younger brothers, eventually reverting" to the father, and our subject pur- 
chased it upon the settlement of the estate. This in brief is the life history of 
one of the native sons of the county connected with its history from pioneer 
days. He has been a witness of much of the growth and development of this 
part of the state and like the others of the family has borne his part in the work 
of agricultural improvement here. He has always lived at peace with his fel- 
low men, being just in his dealings and upright in his conduct, and through 
earnest labor he has prospered. 

A. J. FISHER. 

We have here a gentleman who has for long years been intimately con- 
nected with the development of Hancock county, in which he was born in 
Cass township, February 19, 1849. He is at the present time residing at 
Findlay, having by thrift and business sagacity been able to acquire a com- 
petence. He is a son of John and Katherine A. (Dunlap) Fisher, both of 
whom were natives of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and came to Hancock 
county about 1835, where they located in Cass township, buying eighty acres 
with very little cleared. They continued to reside on this farm, which they 
gradually brought under a high state of cultivation, and upon which they 
made many substantial improvements. John Fisher is remembered as an 



8o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

exceedingly social, kind hearted man, a Democrat in politics, though not 
taking much part in public life. He was married in 1827 to the lady above 
mentioned, and to them were born fifteen children, only four of whom are 
now living, James W., Vincent, Joseph L., and our subject, A. J. Fisher. 
The father of the family died on the 2d of June, 1864, mourned by a large 
circle of friends. His wife continued to live a widow until her death in Au- 
gust, 1872. 

A. J. Fisher passed the period of his adolesence on the farm with 
his parents, conning his lessons in the primitive log school house of that day. 
He later finished his literary education at the Findlay high school. Here he 
applied himself with such diligence that he was able to enter the teaching 
l^rofession and in 1868 taught his first school in Washington township. For 
a period of fifteen years he continued to teach during the winter, giving his at- 
tention to agricultural pursuits in the summer. He, however, in 1882, aban- 
doned the teaching profession entirely and since that time has given his undi- 
vided attention to farming. He made his first purchase of real estate in 1875, 
buying sixty acres in Allen township. He subsequently added to this sixty, 
which he continued to improve and beautify until he had one of the finest prop- 
erties in Hancock county. During his active life in the community he held the 
offices of assessor, school director, councilman and infirmary director. He 
never shrank from giving his time and talent to the furtherance of the best 
interests of his county. His marriage.occurred in 1872, when, on the 19th of 
November, he was joined to Miss Martha E. Hart. This lady was the daugh- 
ter of Cyrus and Elizabeth Hart, and has borne him two children, Ottis VV,, 
born April 19, 1874, and Lizzy M., born October 28, 1879, now Mrs. John 
E. Betts, her husband being a leading young attorney of Findlay. The son, 
Ottis W. Fisher, was united in marriage on the 23d of March, 1898, to Miss 
May, the accomplished daughter of Henry and Susana George, and they have 
one daughter, Gertrude L., born September 10, 1901. Mrs. Fisher, who was 
born November 13, 1847, ^i^d died November i, 1902, was a member of one of 
the old pioneer families of the county, which will be found mentioned else- 
where in this volume. Her parents located in Portage township in 1836, 
bought eighty acres of land on which they lived about fifteen years, and then 
exchanged it for one hundred and sixty acres in Allen township. Cyrus Hart 
is remembered as a practical farmer, and a good neighbor. In 1887 he sold 
his farm and removed to Findlay, where he died March 3, 1891. This re- 
moval was caused by the death of his wife, which occurred July 27, 1887. 
These parents were both consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal 
church, in which Mr. Hart was a very active member, having served many 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 8i 

years as a class leader. Their family numbered eleven children, of whom 
the six now living are Rachel, Mary ]., Izabelle, Eli R., Parley C. and 
John W. 

A. J. Fisher has always been prominently identified with the material 
interests of Hancock county, and is remembered as having been president of 
the company which opened the oil field north of Findlay. This company, 
which opened the first oil well, was afterward absorbed by the Ohio Oil Com- 
pany. Mr. Fisher is one of the esteemed citizens of Hancock county, whose 
efforts during a useful career have added to the general prosperity. 

JAMES WILLIAMSON. 

The family to which the above named belongs can show a creditable rec- 
ord both in civil and military life, as it has been well represented in two of the 
country's wars. Aaron Williamson, grandfather of our subject, was a soldier 
in the war of 1812, and two of his descendants upheld the flag during the great 
rebellion of 1 861-5, which threatened destruction both to the Union and lib- 
erty itself. Peter and Rachel (Pinkerton) Williamson may justly be consid- 
ered pioneers of Hanccok county, as they arrived in 1832 when but little im- 
provement had been made in that part of the state, and agriculture, especially, 
was in a decidedly raw and backward state. Peter was born in Pickaway 
county, March ig, 181 6, but his wife was a Pennsylvanian, and after their ar- 
rival they located in what is now Jackson township. The father died Septem- 
ber 3, 1890, and the mother January 9, 1878, after becoming the parents of 
six children, of whom four are now living. James Williamson, the eldest, 
was born in Findlay township, Hancock county, Ohio, June 24, 1837, obtained 
his education at the schools of the vicinage and was trained to do farm work 
during his growing years. Shortly after reaching manhood the Civil war was 
raging and he determined to take his part in the great work of saving the 
Union. For this purpose he enlisted in August, 1862, as a private in Company 
G, Ninety-ninth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for the three years' 
service in the Western army. He took part in all the battles in which his regi- 
ment was called on to engage, and bore himself with that fortitude, self- 
denial and obedience to orders that characterized the soldiers of the great 
struggle between the states. He was discharged with an excellent record 
and no demerit marks against him in the summer of 1865, after all serious 
hostilities terminated. His father was also one of the heroes of the mighty 
conflict, and served in Company D, same regiment in which his son was en- 
listed. Mr. Williamson returned home immediately after obtaining his re- 



82 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

lease from the army and lost no time in renewing his acquaintance with farm 
work. His first purchase of real estate was made in Putnam county, where, in 
1865, he secured a farm of forty acres and cultivated the same for the next 
four years. At the end of that period he sold all his belongings in Putnam 
county and moved over to Hancock county, spending one year at Findlay 
and the next four years at other places without obtaining a permanent location. 
In 1887 he found a place to suit him in Blanchard township, where he bought 
the sixty-four acres which he has since cultivated and which constitute his 
present homestead. Mr. Williamson is a general farmer, confining himself to 
raising the standard cereal crops and sufficient stock for domestic purposes, 
but not atempting anything in the "fancy" line. 

In 1861 Mr. Williamson was united in marriage with Miss Azubah D., 
daughter of Steven and Betsey Smith, and they had scarcely passed their 
honeymoon when he went to the front in obedience to his country's call. They 
had the unusually large family of fourteen children and succeeded in raising 
eleven to maturity, their names being Francis M., Peter, Alexander, Jasper, 
Eddy, Nancy J., Mary, William, James, Alice and Benjamin H. Mrs. Will- 
iamson, the mother of this interesting family, is a native of Blanchard town- 
ship, where her birth occurred in 1844. Mr. Williamson takes a natural 
pride in all things relating to the Civil war and its surviving veterans, with 
whom he renews relations and recalls old times as a member of Engle Post 
no. Grand Army of the Republic. He is a stanch Republican, having cast 
his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln in i860 and voted the Repub- 
lican ticket ever since. 

JAMES A. BOPE. 

From whatever viewpoint assumed, it must be acknowledged that the 
lawyer is a pre-eminent factor in all affairs of private concern and national 
importance. The man versed in the laws of the country, as distinguished 
from business men or politicians, has been a recognized power. He has been 
depended upon to conserve the best and permanent interests of the whole 
people, and without him and his practical judgment the efforts of the states- 
man and the industry of the business man and mechanic would prove futile. 
The reason is not far to seek. The professional lawyer is never the creature 
of circumstance. The profession is open to talent, and no definite prestige or 
success can be attained save by indomitable energy, perseverance, patience 
and strong mentality. Among the representative members of the bar of 
Hancock county is Colonel Bope, who has been engaged in the practice of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 83 

his profession in the city of Findlay for two score years and whose is the 
added distinction of having rendered the vahant service of a true son of the 
repubHc when the integrity of the nation was menaced by armed rebelHon. 
His hfe has been one of signal honor and usefulness, he has high rank in his 
profession and he has so lived as to gain and retain the confidence and esteem 
of his fellow men. It is certainly consistent that a review of his career be 
incorporated in a work of the province assigned to this publication. 

James A. Bope is a native of Ohio, having been born in Winchester, 
Adams county, on the 30th of November, 1833. His parents removed to 
Lancaster in 1838, and there he received his preliminary educational disci- 
pline, after which he was matriculated in Wittenberg College, at Springfield, 
Ohio, where he was graduated as a member of the class of 1855. There has 
been no element of vacillation in his nature, and thus it was to be expected that 
he would early form definite plans as to his course in life. He began reading 
law in Lancaster, being a close and assiduous student and so rapidly advanc- 
ing in his technical knowledge as to secure admission to the bar of the state 
in 1857. He served his novitiate as a practitioner in Lancaster, where he re- 
mained until 1859, when he came to Findlay, where he has ever since main- 
tained his home and where by his life and services he has added to the dig- 
nity of the bar of the state. 

In 1 861 Colonel Bope had been elected prosecuting attorney of the county, 
but the responsibilities of this incumbency and the demands of his general 
practice did not deter him from promptly responding to the clarion call to 
arms when the dark shadow of Civil war obscured the national horizon. In 
July, 1862, he enlisted as a member of Company D, Ninety-ninth Ohio Volun- 
teer Infantry, of which he was made captain and in which he served until 
July 10, 1864, when he was appointed acting inspector general in the brigade 
commanded by Colonel P. T. Swaine. In the battle of Atlanta our subject 
was severely wounded and was sent home by General Schofield, presumably 
never to return to the front or even to survive his injuries. He, however, re- 
covered and rejoined his command in North Carolina. He was made lieu- 
tenant colonel and was placed in command of the Ninety-ninth and Fifteenth 
Consolidated Regiments of Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which capacity he 
served until the close of the war, being mustered out in July, 1865. He was 
an active participant in all of the engagements of his command, from Perry- 
ville, Kentucky, to the end, including the battles of Lookout Mountain, Chick- 
amauga and Missionary Ridge, and from Dalton to Atlanta. He had re- 
ceived several minor wounds prior to being incapacitated by his injuries at 
Atlanta. 



84 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

After being mustered out Colonel Bope returned to Findlay and resumed 
his interrupted professional work, in which the long intervening years have 
brought him marked precedence and a representative clientage. For more 
than a decade he was retained as counsel for the Findlay city council, and 
thereafter served for four years as city solicitor. He devotes his attention 
principally to corporation law, having nothing in the line of criminal cases 
in connection with his professional work, though he has proved a strong 
advocate, versatile and thorough and learned in the minutiae of the law and 
precedents and the general science of jurisprudence. He is counsel for a 
number of important corporations, including leading banking institutions, and 
is attorney for the Cincinnati, Sandusky & Cleveland and the Big Four rail- 
roads and also for the Bowling Green & Southern Traction Company. His 
political allegiance is given to the Republican party, of whose cause he has ever 
been a stalwart supporter and advocate. 

In 1861 Colonel Bope was united in marriage to Miss Martha J. Meeks, 
a daughter of Rev. J. A. Meeks, and their home is a center of gracious hos- 
pitality. 

JOHN BAKER. 

A pioneer family whose descendants have done much to sustain the repu- 
tation of Hancock county in the great state of Ohio, is here presented for the 
consideration of our readers. Grafton Baker, the paternal grandfather of 
the gentleman named above, was the original pioneer, he with his wife Mary 
and four sons and a daughter removing to the county in 1835. They located 
in Washington township and entered one whole section, three-fourths of which 
was in Cass township, which he afterward divided into equal parts, giving 
one to each son. Grafton and his wife were strong advocates of the tenets 
of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in that early day did much to estab- 
lish it in the county. Politically he was a Whig. After a life of toil and 
care for the welfare of his family, a life uneventful but useful, he passed to 
his rest in 1849. He was born in the year 1767, so that he lived to a ripe 
old age. The wife of his bosom died at an advanced age. Alexander Baker, 
one of the four sons of this pioneer couple, was born in Carroll county, Ohio, 
in 1816, and was a youth of nineteen years when the family located in Han- 
cock county. Here in 1843 he married Katherine Eckert, who was born in 
Fairfield county, Ohio, in 1824, and whose pioneer parents are noticed else- 
where in this volume. These parents reared three children : Lucinda, de- 
ceased; Amanda, now Mrs. G. ^V. Norris; and John, the subject of this sketch. 

The father of the family, Alexander Baker, was a practical farmer re- 




MRS. JOHU BAKER. 




JOHH BAKER. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 85 

siding on the quarter section given to him by his father. He had been given 
more than the average education, and had taught school during the early 
part of his life, but after his marriage he confined himself to farming. He 
was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and a man of good judg- 
ment as well as sound morals. His useful career was cut short by premature 
death in 1849 ^t the age of thirty-three years, but his wife, who survives to 
honor his name and memory, lives with her son John on one of the original 
quarter sections. John Baker, the youngest child, was born in Cass township 
in 1847 3-i^d educated in the usual way in the district schools. He has been 
a continuous resident of this immediate section of the county during his entire 
lifetime, and his character has been such that he wields influence for good 
throughout all the county. After he reached his majority he set up an estab- 
lishment of his own, and was joined in marriage to Miss Sara, daughter of 
Michael and Ann Binger, the event occurring in 1868. Of the six children re- 
sulting from this union only three are living: iVlexander, Lemuel and 
Amanda. The mother, who died in 1887, is remembered as a woman of good 
heart and gentle disposition. Mr. Baker, like his ancestors, has confined him- 
self to agricultural pursuits in a practical way. He enjoys the full confidence 
of his fellow citizens, who have honored hijn with several of the offices of the 
township, and at different times he has been trustee and justice of the peace. 
The last mentioned office he has held for twenty years, a fact which speaks 
eloquently of the manner in which he has administered its duties. Mr. Baker 
has a place of one hundred and sixty acres Avhich he devotes to general 
farming. 

WILLIAM AND JAMES M. CUSAC. 

Few names are better known in Hancock county than that of Cusac, and 
no citizens are more highly esteemed than those who bear this honored desig- 
nation. For many years and through two generations they have been identi- 
fied with the agricultural and industrial development of that portion of Ohio 
in which their lots were cast. The founders of the family were Daniel and 
Sarah (Sellers) Cusac, natives of Pennsylvania, who removed in 1839 ^T^om 
Perry county. Daniel was a wagonmaker by trade and a good workman, who 
combined skill with intelligence. At different times he purchased land in 
Hancock county, which in the aggregate amounted to one hundred and twenty 
acres, and on this he settled after his arrival in Ohio. By dint of much hard 
work and assisted by his sturdy sons, this land was eventually cleared and 
brought into that high state of cultivation so characteristic of the Ohio farms. 



86 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

In the fullness of time and years the parents were called to their long rest, 
after rearing a family of sons and daughters who rank among the best class 
of Ohio citizens. Of the nine children, the eight now living are Nancy, Mary 
A., Sarah E., Margaret, John, James M., Isaac and William. All the chil- 
dren were reared and educated in Hancock county and like their parents were 
trained in the doctrine and discipline of the Presbyterian church. After the 
death of his parents William Cusac, the youngest of the living children, pur- 
chased the interest of the other heirs and since 1877 has had full possession 
of his father's estate. About the year 1886 he leased the oil privileges of his 
land to a responsible company and from this transaction has received a 
profitable revenue. In addition to this, however, he operates an oil field on 
his own account and this also has proved remunerative. Since he took charge 
of his father's estate Mr. Cusac has made many needed improvements by the 
erection of necessary buildings, beautifying of the grounds and other addi- 
tions, both ornamental and useful, which go so far towards the enhance- 
ment of landed property. Mr. Cusac stands high in the community, as a citi- 
zen of moral worth and blameless character, and is active in religious work, 
holding the position of trustee and treasurer of the Presbyterian church. 
December 10, 1858, the nuptials of William Cusac and Phebe A., daughter 
of Amos and Elizabeth Cooper, were solemnized at the home of the bride's 
parents. This union, which proved a happy one in every respect, M^as blessed 
by the birth of four children, of whom Amos N., Daniel J. and Elizabeth A. 
are living, while Joseph M. has departed this life. Mrs. Cusac, the beloved 
mother of this family and a lady of most excellent traits, is a native of Han- 
cock county, having been born in Liberty township in 1836. 

James M., another son of Daniel and Sarah Cusac, also deserves especial 
mention as a successful man of affairs. His birth occurred November 25, 
1832, and he was seven years of age when his parents moved to Hancock 
county. He early exhibited those traits of character which have made the 
name of Cusac notable, and from his youth has been industrious, saving and 
cautious in the transaction of business. The result of this steady application 
and exercise of good judgment has been marked success in his ventures, 
and at this time James M. Cusac owns one hundred and thirty-five acres of 
valuable land, upon which are operated thirty-one oil wells. Besides this 
property, however, of which he still retains control, Mr. Cusac has deeded one 
hundred and fifty acres to his children. His first investment in real estate was 
in 1862, when he made a modest purchase of twenty-three acres of land. 
This nucleus, within the next twenty years had been increased by Mr. Cusac to 
one hundred and eighty-five acres of as valuable land as Hancock county 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 87 

affords. Not only as a business man, but in private life, in religious circles, 
as a neighbor and as a citizen, James M. Cusac enjoys the highest standing 
and consideration. Everybody likes him and everybody respects him. For 
six years he filled the important position of infirmary director and for a long 
period, in fact from his earliest youth, he has been a consistent and honored 
member of the Presbyterian church. In 1856 he was married to Miss Rachel 
W., daughter of Ebenezer and Sarah (Davis) Wilson. The latter were 
Kentuckians and among the first settlers of Hancock county, where the fam- 
ily has always been highly respected. Rachel Wilson, who became Mrs. 
Cusac, was born in the neighborhood where she now resides and there her 
happy married life has been spent since 1882. The children of James M. and 
Rachel W. Cusac, ten in number, are named as follows in order of birth: 
Marilla D., Sallie, Josephine, Milan D., Mary V., Alice B., Lulu R., Edson 
J., George V. (deceased) and Mack W. In politics Mr. Cusac is a Democrat. 

CORNELIUS S. JAMESON. 

This worthy and respected farmer lives in Big Lick township, on a farm 
of seventy-one acres, which he devotes to general farming. This tract of 
land has been in the family for a number of years, he having been born there 
May 25, 1838. His father was the Rev. Ira Jameson, an efficient and popular 
minister in the Methodist Episcopal church, who removed to this county in 
T833, where he bought the land upon which our subject now resides. Be- 
fore he died he added forty-five acres to the tract, ah of which he cleared to 
a great extent. He was a regularly ordained minister of the gospel, and 
preached for a number of years with great acceptance. He was a native of 
the Blue Grass state, where he was born near Paris, in 1802. He married 
Rebecca Polston February 6, 1822, the issue being ten children, viz. : Cor- 
nelius S. ; Sarah, who was born August 12, 1840; Ira M., August 9, 1843; 
Susana, July 12, 1825; Prior B., February 9, 1827; Andrew, March 16, 1829; 
Anna, July 2, 1831; Maria B., September 19, 1833; Asbury, December 17, 
1837; and an unnamed infant. Ira, the father of this family died July 21, 
1848. The wife, Rebecca, was a native of Maryland. She died October 27, 
1868. 

Cornelius S. Jameson, as stated above, has passed the entire period of 
his life in Big Lick township, where he has always been engaged in agri- 
cultural pursuits with the greatest success. He purchased his first farm in 
1876, and two years later he called to preside over his home Miss Sara A., 
the daughter of William and Sara Stokes. To this union, which was a union 



88 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

of hearts, were born Edith D., March 23, 1881 ; Ira W., January 12, 1883; 
Jason, June 30, 1885, and a deceased infant. Mrs. Sara A. Jameson was 
born in Indiana in 1845. The Jamesons were natives of Ireland and came 
here before the Revolution and were Protestants from a remote period. 

Mr. and Mrs. Jameson are worthy and active members of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal church, whose interests they delight to forward. Mr. Jame- 
son is an acceptable and efficient class leader and steward in the organization. 
They have been prominently and honorably associated with the history of 
Hancock county, and as such it is a pleasure to give them representation in 
this volume. 

In the summer of 1902 a company drilled a well on Mr. Jameson's farm, 
and produced oil. Rev. Ira Jameson's mother was a Brown, and her mother 
was a Ball, and as Martha Washington was of the latter family, a relation- 
ship is shown. 

Mr. Jameson was a member of the Squirrel Hunters, a body of men called 
out by Governor David Tod to protect the state of Ohio from the rebel inva- 
sion of 1862. In September, 1862, he received his discharge, signed by Gover- 
nor Tod, Charles W. Hill, adjutant general of Ohio, and Malcom Mc- 
Dalad, major and aide de camp. Daniel Brown, brother of Ira Jame- 
son's mother, was killed by the Indians in Kentucky. He had sent his family 
to the blockhouse for protection, and while looking after the stock was sur- 
prised by the Indians and killed by having sixteen shots fired into his body.- 

ROBERT DAVY. 

Robert Davy, deceased, was a prominent farmer of \Vashington town- 
ship, Hancock county, where he was during his lifetime held in great respect. 
He was born in Carroll county, Ohio, November 14, 1824, and there received 
his training and education. Upon arriving at manhood he engaged in agri- 
cultural pursuits, which he followed with great success during his life. In 
June, 1847, he was united in marriage with Rebecca, daughter of Henry and 
Rachel Newhouse, and a year later left their old home for Hancock county, 
where they purchased eighty acres of land, to which they subsequently added 
one hundred and twenty. The latter tract, after Mr. Davy's death, was divided 
among his children, the original purchase of eighty acres remaining still in 
the possession of his widow. Mr. Davy was a worthy man, a practical farmer, 
a loyal citizen, a loving husband, and an indulgent father. The date of his 
decease was April 14, 1872. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Davy were Ruth, 
James, Elza, Alley and Effie. 



^ii^ 




CCci Cl 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 89 

Mrs. Rebecca N. Davy was born in Carroll county, Ohio, in January, 
1827, and her parents removed to Hancock county in 1848. They purchased 
here eighty acres of land, and upon this they resided during their lives, sur- 
rounded with all the comforts of a country home of that day. He was an 
energetic and successful farmer and stood high in that community. He was 
a native of Carroll county, and died in Hancock county in the ninetieth year 
of his age. His wife Rachel was born in Virginia, and died at the age of 
eighty-seven years in Hancock county. They were worthy citizens and held 
the esteem of their numerous friends and acquaintances. 

JACOB H. BOGER, D. D. S. 

This is an age of progress, and America is the exponent of the dominat- 
ing spirit of the age. In the beginning of the last century our country was 
in its infancy, and history shows no parallel for its growth and achievements. 
No other country has made as great advancement in the lines of science and 
mechanical invention, and its prestige in this regard is distinct and undis- 
puted. In this steady growth and development which has characterized the 
age of science dentistry — which is both a science and a mechanic art — 
has kept pace with the general progress, and in this profession the subject 
of this review stands as one of the most skilled representatives in the state 
of Ohio, who is established in the successful practice of dentistry in the city 
of Findlay, Hancock county, where he is honored as a citizen and as a lead- 
ing member of his profession. He is at the present time incumbent of the 
office of postmaster in his home city, and has given a most discriminating and 
capable administration of the affairs of the same, gaining the endorsement 
of the local public and ever aiming to insure the best possible service. He 
has been otherwise prominent in the political and civic life of the city, and is 
well worthy of consideration in this work as one of the representative citizens 
of Hancock county. 

Jacob Henry Boger is a native of the old Keystone state of the Union, 
having been born in the city of Harrisburg, capital of Pennsylvania, on the 
27th of June, 1859, a son of John A. and Mary A. (Kuhnle) Boger, both of 
stanch German lineage. His father is likewise a native of Pennsylvania, 
where he has attained a position of prominence and influence, being now in- 
cumbent of a position in the comptroller's office in the city of Philadelphia, 
where he took up his abode when his son, the Doctor, was a lad of about ten 
years, and where he soon gained precedence as one of the leaders in the 
local ranks of the Republican party. He and his wife became the parents of 



90 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPEIICAL HISTORY 

seven children, of whom six are hving- at the present time. Dr. Boger se- 
cured his initial scholastic discipline in his native city and thereafter contin- 
ued his studies in the work of the public schools of the city of Philadelphia 
until 1877, when he began the work of technical preparation for that pro- 
fession in which he has attained so marked precedence and success. He be- 
gan the study of dentistry in the office and under the direction of Dr. J. F. 
Fryer, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, one of the most eminent members of his 
profession in that section of the Keystone state, and Dr. Boger thoroughly 
familiarized himself with the methods adopted by his able preceptor, in both 
the operative and laboratory departments of dental science, and in 1877, in 
order to thoroughly fortify himself for the active work of his chosen profes- 
sion, he was matriculated in the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery, in 
Philadelphia, where he was graduated as a member of the class of 1880, re- 
ceiving at that time the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery and class honors. 

On the 1 6th of March of the same year, Dr. Boger began the active 
practice of his profession in the city of Findlay, which has ever since been 
the field of his well directed and signally successful efforts. He has steadily 
risen in popular favor and his professional business is now the largest in the 
city. His offices are finely equipped with the most improved mechanical ac- 
cessories are made attractive with the tasteful furnishings, and the pro- 
fessional services of the Doctor have been in demand by a patronage of 
distinctively representative character. Of him it has been well said that he is 
not a man "whose ability is limited to one line of business activity alone. He 
has largely contributed to the material resources of the city and is deeply 
mterested in all that is calculated to promote the growth and upbuilding of 
Findlay. He has dealt to a considerable extent in real estate and has found 
this a profitable source of income." 

Dr. Boger has given an unequivocal support to the Republican party 
from the time of attaining his legal majority and he has been a prominent 
and influential factor in political affairs in this section of the state. He was 
a member of the board of election supervisors of Hancock county, in which 
capacity he served consecutively for seven years, the local public having im- 
plicit confidence in his impartiality and judgment. In 1884 the Doctor was 
elected to the office of city clerk of Findlay, and of this position he was the 
efficient incumbent for four years. Of his position in regard to matters 
political another publication gave the following appreciative estimate: "He 
has given valuable aid to the county committees and his counsel is valuable 
and is gladly received. He was chairman of the congressional committee of 
the eighth district in 1898, and is active in the Ohio League of Republican 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 91 

Clubs. In 1896 he was a member of the executive committee of Ohio from 
Hancock county, and in 1887 he was one of those who went to New York 
City to form the National League of Republican Clubs. He was a delegate 
to the state convention in 1891, when Major William McKinley was nomin- 
ated by acclamation for governor, and later he was one of the most earnest 
and efficient supporters of the illustrious Ohio statesman for the presidency." 
On the 22d of June, 1898, Dr. Boger was appointed postmaster of Findlay 
by President McKinley, the appointment meeting with most favorable recep- 
tion, and he has proved an able executive and one fully appreciative of the 
responsible duties entrusted to his care in connection with this department 
of the government service. He was reappointed by President Roosevelt June 
27, 1902. For some years he took an active part in the interest of the Episco- 
pal church, and fraternally he has attained distinguished rank in the time- 
honored order of Freemasonry, in which he has advanced to the thirty-sec- 
ond degree of the Scottish Rite, being also a noble of the Mystic Shrine. He 
has taken a very deep and appreciative interest in this great fraternal or- 
ganization, and is past eminent commander of Findlay Commandery, No. 
49, Knights Templar. He is a member of the Benevolent Protective Order 
of Elks, the Royal Arcanum and Knights of Pythias. He has ever kept 
in close touch with the advances made in his profession and is a member 
of several societies established in the interests of the same, including the 
Ohio State Dental Association and the Dentists' Protective Association. Re- 
verting, incidentally, to his genealogy, it should be noted that the Doctor's 
maternal great-grandfather, Samuel Skeen, was a lieutenant in the Philadel- 
phia county, Pennsylvania, militia in the early days. 

On the 6th of December, 1882, Dr. Boger was united in marriage to 
Miss Jennie Mungen, a daughter of Hon. William Mungen, who was the only 
representative ever sent from Hancock county to Congress and who was one 
of the distinguished citizens of Findlay. Dr. and Mrs. Boger have one child, 
Corinne. 

REV. ASA ELLIS. 

For sixty-three years the subject of this review has been numbered among 
the honored and highly respected citizens of Hancock county and has been 
prominently identified with those interests calculated to uplift and benefit his 
fellow men. For many years he labored in the Master's vineyard as a mem- 
ber of the Baptist church and was also engaged in the practice of medicine, 
thus ministering to both the spiritual and temporal needs of the people. 



92 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Mr. Ellis was born in Bertie county, North Carolina, September 12, 
1 81 9, and is of English descent, his paternal grandfather, Ezekiel Ellis, hav- 
ing come to this country from England in 1730. His son, Ezekiel Ellis, Jr., 
the father of our subject, was a native of North Carolina, and on reaching 
man's estate married Margaret Lee, a first cousin of Robert E. Lee. The Ellis 
family were not slaveholders and were active members of the Baptist church. 

At the age of seventeen years our subject began preaching in the primi- 
tive Baptist church and continued to devote his time to the ministry for many 
years. On leaving his old home in North Carolina he decided to locate in 
Tennessee, where he had relatives living, but falling in with a company of 
friends bound for Ohio, he came to this state in 1839 at the age of twenty 
years. He first stopped at Chillicothe and from there went to Fayette county 
with an uncle, Isaac Drace, spending one winter there engaged in preaching. 
He finally determined to go to Illinois, but on his way there in 1844 stopped at 
Findlay to see Henry Bishop, editor of the Courier and a prominent Bap- 
tist, and also Price Blackford, father of Aaron Blackford. There being 
no Baptist minister at this place he was persuaded to preach for the congre- 
gation and filled the position twenty-five years, during which time he organ- 
ized five societies in this section of the state, at Findlay, Carey, Orange, Gilboa 
and Eagle. 

Mr. Ellis was married April 14, 1846, to Miss Maria Reynolds, a na- 
tive of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, and a daughter of Robert and 
Elizabeth Reynolds, who brought their family to Wyandot county, Ohio, 
when she was a child of eleven years. By trade her father was a blacksmith 
and gunsmith. Mr. Ellis became acquainted with his wife while preaching 
at Carey, the family being members of the congregation there. At the time 
of her marriage Mrs. Ellis was twenty-four years of age and she became the 
mother of eight children, namely: Bishop Reynolds, who died at the age 
of eleven years; Curtis Welch, who served as postmaster of Curtellis, Ohio, 
spent several years in the west and died at the age of forty-eight; George 
Washington, who died in Montana at the age of forty-two; Valinda Eliza- 
beth, who married Albert Johnson, of St. Joseph county, Michigan; Robert 
A., a physician of Findlay, Ohio, and San Francisco, California, who died 
in the Klondike, where he had gone as a medical practitioner; Abner Theo- 
dore, a prospector now in Alaska ; Willie, a farmer of Jackson township, who 
married Eva Gossage; and Jerema, who died in infancy. 

In the fall of 1846 Mr. Ellis located on a farm in Jackson township, but 
did not engage in agricultural pursuits, as he devoted his attention wholly 
to the work of the ministry and the practice of medicine, which he began in 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 93 

1848. He continued to engage in practice until 1870, when the state passed 
a law requiring that all physicians pass an examination before the state board, 
but not wishing to take an examination he retired from the profession. He 
had quite an extensive patronage extending for miles into the surrounding 
country and he met with most excellent success in the treatment of various 
diseases. During the cholera epidemic seventeen persons died in Eagle town- 
ship, but he lost but one patient and cured many. He was also very success- 
ful in the treatment of typhoid fever and milk sickness, which was quite preva- 
lent among the early settlers of this portion of the state and lost no cases 
toward the close of his practice. After his practical retirement he continued 
to prescribe for his old neighbors and friends to some extent, but always free 
of charge. He was a member of the physio-medical school, although he never 
received the degree of Medical Doctor, and was very proficient in his pro- 
fession. During all this time Mr. Ellis continued to preach from 1834 until 
1880, and occasionally since that time. He has performed many marriage 
and funeral ceremonies and labored untiringly as a local pastor. While in 
his prime he held many religious debates with the Bible as his text book, 
and he always held to the spirit if not to the letter of the text. He is broad 
and liberal in his views on scriptural, as well as other subjects, and is a man 
who commands the respect of all who know him. 

At one time Mr. Ellis was the owner of four hundred acres of land, 
two-thirds of which he placed under cultivation, and he still retains one hun- 
dred and twenty acres in the home farm, having given to each of his children 
a farm. In early life he was a Democrat until 1840, when he became a Whig, 
and continued to support that party until the organization of the Republican 
party in 1856, when he joined its ranks. He endorses its views on the money 
question, but is not an advocate of expansion, and stands with the admin- 
istration in regard to Cuba but not to the Philippines. He has taken an active 
part in political conventions arid has always kept well informed on the ques- 
tions and issues of the day. His life has been exemplary in many respects and 
he well merits the confidence and respect so freely accorded him by his fellow 
citizens. 

S. M. STEWART. 

Though a native of Pennsylvania, Mr. Stewart has been a resident for 
thirty-two years in various counties of Ohio. During his active life he has 
tried different pursuits, including merchandising and dealing in real estate, 
and he met with a fair measure of success, but he eventually returned to the 



94 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

first experience of his youth and settled down permanently to farming. At 
the present time he owns two places in Hancock county, his home farm be- 
ing situated in Blanchard township and consisting of one hundred and sixty 
acres of fertile land. This tract is devoted to general farming, including the 
standard crops and stock-raising, and as Mr. Stewart is a good business man 
and careful manager, he ranks as one of the safe and conservative farmers of 
his neighborhood. 

It is only necessary to mention the names of Stewart and Randolph to 
recall to any reader of English and American history that they are among 
the most ancient and famous in our annals. On his father's side the subject 
of our sketch is descended from a Scotch family of Stewarts who were quite 
prominent in the land of Bruce and Burns, their ancestors being connected 
with powerful and aristocratic families and participants in many of the fa- 
mous wars of "old Scotia." On his mother's side Mr. Stewart is descended 
from the English Randolphs, who came over shortly after the Mayflower 
voyage, and subsequently figured so conspicuously in Virginia. Eventually 
the two families in one of their remote branches came together by the mar- 
riage in Butler county, Pennsylvania, of Joseph Stewart and Elizabeth Ran- 
dolph. S. M. Stewart, son of this couple and subject of this biography, was 
born while his parents were residing in Butler county, Pennsylvania, in 1852, 
and remained there until he was eighteen years old. After receiving the 
usual education afforded by the common schools and learning farm work 
during the interims, he decided before reaching his majority to try his for- 
tune in the west. It was in 1870 that he made his first appearance in Han- 
cock county and as the most available opportunity in sight he sought employ- 
ment in ordinary labor on a farm. Subsequently he removed to Allen county, 
Ohio, bought a stock of boots and shoes and opened up a mercantile business 
in that line, which he prosecuted for some time with a fair degree of success. 
This enterprise, however, he eventually traded for a farm in Paulding county 
and upon removing to that locality shortly after became a dealer in real 
estate. These various transactions consumed his time until 1898, when Mr. 
Stewart returned to Hancock county and, like the giant in the fable, sought 
strength again by renewing his touch with mother earth. He purchased a 
farm of eighty acres in Pleasant township and in 1901 bought and removed 
to another in Blanchard township, on which he has since resided. 

In 1 87 1 Mr. Stewart was united in martimony with Miss Orissa Coates, 
who was born in Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania, in 1850, came to Blanch- 
ard township when a little girl and was reared on the farm where she now 
lives. She was the daughter of Gardner and Emma Coates, her father having 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 95 

at one time done a thriving business as a woolen manufacturer in Massachu- 
setts. Owing to financial reverses he came west and after a residence of sev- 
eral years in Pennsylvania removed to Hancock county in 1855 and pur- 
chased one hundred and sixty acres of land. He was a man of sterling quali- 
ties and of the strictest walk in his daily life. His family consisted of seven 
children, of whom four are living, the eldest, William by name, having lost 
his life while serving his country as a soldier in the Civil war. Mr. and 
Mrs. Stewart have two sons, of whom Alva, the eldest, is a successful school 
teacher, and L. A. is a prosperous farmer in Paulding county. The family 
are members of the Blanchard Methodist Episcopal church and enjoy cordial 
relations with a wide circle of neighbors and friends. 

CHRISTOPHER A. SALTZMAN. 

The gentleman whose name is above inscribed, at present a thrifty 
farmer of Big Lick township, is descended from one of the French emigrants 
who came to Hancock county about the middle of the last century and who 
have done their full share towards its progress and development. Andrew 
and Mary (Rupp) Saltzman emigrated from their native land of France in 
1857, came directly to Ohio and located on one hundred and thirty acres of 
land purchased in Big Lick township. There were but few improvements 
and the land was rough and unkempt, but French thrift soon found a way 
to better things and eventually make of the place an ideal farm. At first a rude 
log house was put up for temporary purposes, but this in time gave place 
to a commodious dwelling more suitable to the prosperity that had come to 
the owners. Andrew was a good farmer, who attended strictly to his own 
business, let politics alone and was intent on making friends instead of en- 
emies. In religion he was an adherent of the Mennonite faith and his politics 
were mildly Democratic, though he avoided ofiice seeking and the intrigues 
inseparable from that pursuit. Andrew Saltzman terminated his industrious 
and blameless life December 27, 1896, being the survivor of his wife, whose 
demise occurred March 25, 1895. They reared a family of four children, all 
of whom are still living, and among the number Christopher A. Saltzman, 
who was born in France, December 5, 1849, and was consequently eight 
years old when his parents crossed the sea. As a bright little French boy, 
with all the vivacity and quickness to learn so characteristic of the children of 
that sunny land, young Saltzman soon "caught on" to American ways and 
rapidly absorbed the best that could be taught in the schools of Hancock 
county. As he grew he learned all about the details of farm life by perform- 



96 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

ing the work usually allotted to farmer boys, and when he became a man was 
well fitted for success in his chosen pursuit. His father gave him the farm 
where he now resides, which he has cultivated judiciously and industriously, 
in addition to the management of a sawmill situated on his place, which he 
owns and operates. Between the two kinds of occupation Mr. Saltzman 
has been a very busy man and his steady application to business has been re- 
warded by a flattering measure of success. His fellow citizens honored him 
with an election as township clerk and he discharged the duties of that office 
with fidelity and efficiency. November 14, 1895, Mr. Saltzman was united in 
marriage with Miss Cordia, the worthy daughter of Franklin and Mary 
Heart, to which union have been born two children: Andrew F., Decem- 
ber 17, 1896, and Virgil C, April 27, 1899. Mrs. Saltzman is a native of 
Nevada, Ohio, and is a member of the Christian Union church, to which her 
husband also belongs. The family, both of the older and younger genera- 
tions, have always been highly esteemed by their neighbors and the members 
have furnished fine examples of French citizenship thoroughly Americanized 
by the free institutions of their adopted country. 

DAVID DICK. 

The history of mankind is replete with illustrations of the fact that it is 
only under the pressure of adversity and the stimulus of opposition that the 
best and strongest in men are brought out and developed. Perhaps the history 
of no people so forcibly impresses one with this truth as the annals of our re- 
public. If anything can inspire the youth of our country to persistent, honest, 
and laudable endeavor, it should be the life record of such men as he of whom 
we write. The example of the illustrious few of our countrymen who have 
risen from obscurity to the highest positions in the gift of the nation serves 
often to awe our young men rather than inspire them to emulation, for they 
reason that only a few can ever attain to such eminence; but the history of 
such men as David Dick proves conclusively that with a reasonable amount 
of mental and physical power success is bound eventually to crown the en- 
deavor of those who have the ambition to put forth their best efforts, and the 
will and manliness to persevere therein. 

Mr. Dick is to-day one of the most successful men of Hancock county, and 
certainly deserves great credit for what he has accomplished. He first saw 
the light in Richland county, Ohio, May 28, 1836, being the son of George 
and Sarah (Nicholas) Dick, both of whom were natives of Bedford county, 
Pennsylvania. Here they were reared, and after marriage moved out to Ohio, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 97 

the year being 1826. During his lifetime, George Dick made his impress on 
the society of that early time as an honest, worthy citizen and a good farmer. 
He and his wife were members of the German Reformed church. He lived 
to a most advanced age, having been born in 1796, and his death occurring in 
1888. His wife Sarah also lived to a good age, her birth having occurred in 
1796, and her death in 188 1. The family which they reared consisted of eleven 
children, but only five are now living, David being the only one in this county. 
Mr. Dick was reared and educated in Richland county, where he deliberately 
chose the calling of a farmer, which he has followed with marked success up 
to the present time, not in the desultory manner which marks the efforts of 
some people in life, but with a straightforward, year in and year out persist- 
ency and it is due to this fact and the further fact that he is possessed of a good 
business head that he owes his success in life. The home life of Mr. Dick 
began March 11, 1862, when he celebrated his marriage with Barbara, the 
daughter of Adam and Susanne Weiser. They have had six interesting chil- 
dren, namely: Willia A., now deceased; George W. ; Cora A., Jemmie M., 
deceased; John A., and Charles. Mrs. Dick's father, Adam Weiser, was born 
in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, and was by occupation a farmer. Her 
mother, Susan Bender, was born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania. They 
were married in Richland county, Ohio, in 1835, a"<J became the parents of 
twelve children, two of whom died in infancy, and nine grew to manhood 
and womanhood, and six are living. Mrs. Dick was born in Richland county, 
near Mansfield, May 14, 1842, and was educated in the common schools while 
growing to womanhood. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Dick occurred in 
Richland county, Ohio, where they continued to reside for four years. After 
the war they removed to Hancock county, where they located in Washing- 
ton township, purchasing fifty-three acres of very ordinary land and in a very 
poor state of cultivation. Mr. Dick improved this property, and in 1872 sold 
it to advantage. He again purchased farm land, this time one hundred and 
sixty acres of the tract which he now owns. This also was in a run-down 
state, but Mr. Dick by hard work and honest toil has succeeded in making 
it one of the best farms in the county. He has erected new and commodious 
buildings, and in many other respects has increased its value. He later added 
eighty acres to the original purchase. The oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Dick, 
George W., is comfortably situated as a young agriculturist, having married 
Miss Jessie Taylor, who has presented him with four beautiful children, Ethel; 
Lula; Nellie and John E. Cora A., the daughter, niarried Alvin Davidson, 
a popular resident of the county. 

David Dick is a public spirited citizen, whose labors have been a valuable 



98 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

contributor to the material advancement and substantial progress of his 
adopted county. His resistless energy and resolute purpose have placed him 
in the forefront, so far as material matters are concerned, and his high quali- 
ties of citizenship insure him the respect of his neighbors. 

GEORGE F. PENDLETON. 

Whatever else may be said of the legal fraternity, it cannot be denied 
that members of the bar have been more prominent actors in public affairs 
than any other class of American people. This is but the natural result of 
causes which are manifest and require no explanation. The ability and train- 
ing which qualify one to practice law also qualify him in many respects for 
duties which lie outside the strict path of his profession, and which touch the 
general interest of society. The subject of this record is a man who has 
brought his keen discrimination and his thorough wisdom to bear, not alone 
in professional paths, but also for the benefit of his county and state. 

Hon. George F. Pendleton, at present one of the leading attorneys of 
Findlay, Ohio, was born in Waldo, now Knox county, Maine, September 27, 
1840, and the following year was brought by his parents to Hancock county, 
of which he has since been a resident. Mr. Pendleton is a son of Darius 
and Rachel Pendleton. His father was a farmer, builder and contractor, 
and lived out his life in Hancock county, where he died in September, 1876. 
He was born in South Fox Island, Maine, in 181 6. At the breaking out of the 
Civil war he entered the service, becoming first lieutenant of Company G, 
One Hundred Eighteenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He served until 
April 19, 1863, when, not being able to stand the rigors of active campaigning 
on account of physical disability, he returned home and was appointed colonel 
of the Second Regiment of Home Guards of Hancock county, in which position 
he continued to serve as long as the regiment preserved its organization. James 
Gilkay Pendleton, father of Darius, was born in 1783 on Long Island, Maine, 
located in Licking county, Ohio, and continued to reside there until his 
death, which occurred August 8, 1867. The father of the last mentioned 
was Gideon Pendleton, a large owner of real estate on Long Island, Maine, 
and also extensively engaged in the shipping industry, owning a number of 
vessels. The family is of English origin and traces its genealogy to the 
sixteenth century. The emigrant ancestor was Major Brian Pendleton, who 
came to America ten years after the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. 

George F. Pendleton, heir to this long line of worthy forefathers, passed 
the period of his boyhood upon the farm, and received his education prin- 

. J ^ J 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 99 

cipally in schools at Stanley, Tr'utnam county, Ohio, and near McComb, Han- 
cock county, Ohio. The father of our subject had in 1849 yielded to the 
gold excitement and in the spring of 1850 went to California. He returned 
in 1851, and removed from his previous location in Union township to a 
tract of two hundred acres in Blanchard township, in Hancock county. Here 
at the immature age of fifteen our subject began work for himself, using 
that stepping stone in the lives of so many of our prominent tnen — the school 
room. He taught in the winter and worked on the farm in the summer until 
August, 1862, when he closed his school at Union Center and responded to 
the call of his country for asistance in preserving the Union. August 19, 1862, 
he enlisted in Company G, One Hundred and Eighteenth Regiment, Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry, of which his father, Darius Pendleton, was first lieu- 
tenant and his brother John a private. After a year's service as private in this 
company our subject was advanced to the position of corporal, in which he 
served in the company and on detached service until he was mustered out 
on June 5, 1865, at Columbus, Ohio. Our subject, after remaining with his 
company for the first fifteen months, was detailed to act as chief clerk of the 
brigade commissary, and shortly afterward was advanced to the position of 
chief clerk of the post commissary, with headquarters at Kingston, Tennes- 
see. After the war Mr. Pendleton returned to Nashville, Tennessee, where 
he assisted in closing the military accounts of dififerent officers. In August, 
1865, his health compelled him to resign, and he returned to his home in 
Hancock county, where he resumed his work of teaching. In 1867 he w-as 
appointed chief deputy in the office of C. B. Wilson, internal revenue col- 
lector for the seventh district of Ohio, with headquarters at Findlay, and in 
this office he passed the two following years. Having made up his mind to 
adopt the law as a profession, he at that time entered the office of Brown & 
Anderson in Findlay, and after doing the requisite amount of reading, passed 
the examination and was admitted by the supreme court of Ohio to the 
bar, at the December term in 1870. A partnership was at once formed with 
W. H. Anderson, who was the junior member of the above firm, 
the firm name being Anderson & Pendleton, wdiich continued with a year's 
intermission, until 1876. At that time the partnership was dissolved, and 
our subject connected himself with Hon. Henry Brown, the senior member 
of the firm who had been his preceptors. This partnership continued for a 
period of two years, after which time Mr. Pendleton practiced alone until 
1883. He had taken a very active interest in the campaigns of the party, 
and as a recognition of his services he was elected common pleas judge for 
the tenth district in October of that year. In this office he served for a period 

L»fC. 



loo CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

of seven years, during which he estabHshed a reputation for the correct ad- 
ministration of justice, which but few have equalled. He left this office in Feb- 
ruary, 1890, and again resumed the practice of law, in which he has been 
continuously engaged since that date. Mr. Pendleton has served in a number 
of public positions, all of which he has filled with credit to himself and sat- 
isfaction to his constituents. About 1867 he was appointed county school 
examiner for Hancock county, in which position he served for a period of 
seven years, at the same time acting as examiner for the city schools of 
Findlay. From April, 1870, to the same date in 1872, he officiated as mayor 
of the city of Findlay, and from January i, 1872, to January i, 1876, covering 
a period of two terms, he was prosecuting attorney of Hancock county. 

May 2, 1 87 1, Mr. Pendleton was married in Hancock county, to Emma 
F., the daughter of George W. Galloway, who died in 1874, leaving no issue. 
The second marriage of Mr. Pendleton occurred in Middletown, Ohio, De- 
cember 14, 1877, when he led to the altar Mary B., daughter of Joseph Sutphin. 
The Sutphin family came from New Jersey to Ohio. John Sutphin, the 
grandfather of Mrs. Pendleton, who was a large landowner of Warren and 
Butler counties, Ohio, died in Middletown, Ohio, at an advanced age. Jo- 
seph Sutphin, the father of Mrs. Pendleton, was a prominent flour and paper 
manufacturer of Middletown, Ohio, and died there at about seventy-five years 
of age. The mother of Mrs. Pendleton was Miss Caroline Johnston, a native 
of Ohio, who died in Cincinnati at more than seventy years of age. Mr. 
and Mrs. Pendleton have four children : Charles S., who graduated at Ober- 
lin College, in 1901, and who is now professor of English at that institution; 
Emma G. ; George F., Jr. ; and Chester. Mr. Pendleton is a prominent and 
worthy member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of Stoker 
Post, Grand Army of the Republic. He and his family are members of the 
Presbyterian church. 

AARON J. GLATHART. 

It some times happens that though a man may wander over a considerable 
territory in the course of his life, that he will turn like a magnet to his birth- 
place and early environments and spend his remaining years as he began them. 
Farm life at the time when Aaron J. Glathart was born in Big Lick township, 
Hancock county, Ohio, February 14, 1844, was not what it is to-day. The 
hardships and work of those early days sent many a young man away from 
home to seek his fortune in other fields. For every pound of produce in those 
days meant a disproportionate amount of toil to secure it, so that there is 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY loi 

small wonder that so many young men left the farm as soon as they found a 
way to do so. 

As his name would indicate, Mr. Glathart is of Swiss parentage, his 
father having emigrated from Switzerland, and directly to Hancock county 
in 1828, at the age of twenty-six. He lived the remainder of his life in Han- 
cock county, where in connection with farming he had followed the trade of 
a stone mason. He was one of the men who helped build the old Erie canal. 
His wife was Susannah von Kannall before her marriage, and their family 
consisted of eleven children, of whom three survive, being Jeremiah H. ; Eliza- 
beth G., widow of William L. Wisley; and Aaron J. They gave three of 
their sons to their adopted country, the older one being Rudolph H., who was 
killed on Brazos river, Texas, in May, 1865, by guerrilla Confederates. 
Manassa C, who was a scout under General Lyons, was killed at Wilson's 
Creek, Missouri, August 10, 1861. Leon L. Glathart, the third of these 
patriotic sons, was a private in Company C, Forty-ninth Ohio Volunteer In^ 
fantry, having enlisted at Findlay in January, 1864, and died of smallpox 
at Chattanooga, Tennessee, February 29, 1864. 

The life of Mr. Glathart is an exceedingly interesting one, it having been 
full of both romance and danger, showing a surprising amount of pluck and 
courage all the way through. When but a boy of fifteen he went west to Law- 
rence, Kansas, where an older brother, J. H. Glathart, was running a bakery 
and provision store. The younger brother immediately went into his broth- 
er's business and in 1859 was taken into partnership. In the early part of 
i860 the firm sold out, and Aaron returned to Hancock county, in which year 
his father's death occurred. In August, 1861, Aaron J. Glathart enlisted as a 
private in a company formed at Findlay, being Company H, Fifty-seventh 
Ohio Volunteer Infantry, First Brigade, Second Division, Fifteenth Corps, 
army of the Tennessee, and his service in the war of the Rebellion is equaled 
by few of his countrymen for valor and hardships. He was engaged in many 
battles, some of them the most notable of the war, including Fort Donelson, 
Shiloh, Siege of Corinth, Morning Sun, Tennessee, Wolf Creek Bridge, 
Tallahatchee, Holly Springs, Mississippi ; Chickasaw Bayou, Yazoo Pass, Mis- 
sissippi; Arkansas Post, Arkansas; second expedition to Chickasaw Bayou; 
Steele's Bayou, Deer Creek, Mississippi; running the batteries at Vicksburg 
on the ram Queen of the Wesst on April 16, 1863; Raymond, Mississippi; 
Jackson, Mississippi — the first and second battles; Champion Hills; Big 
Black River, Mississippi, May 17, 1863; Siege of Vicksburg, May 18 to July 
4; Chattanooga; Missionary Ridge; Knoxville, Tennessee; Snake Creek Gap, 
Dalton, Resaca, Kingston, New Hope Church, Big Shanty, Kenesaw 



I02 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Mountain, Pumpkin Vine Creek and Atlanta, Georgia. On July 19, 1864, the 
army of the Tennessee swung around Atlanta, and about 4 p. m. on the 22d, 
just after General McPherson was killed, he was captured and sent to Ander- 
sonville prison, where he was held from July 25 to October i, 1864. He was 
then sent to Savannah and held about two weeks, and from there sent to 
Milieu, Georgia, and held until about the first of December, when he was 
sent to Charleston, South Carolina, and there placed under the fire of the 
Federal batteries. His lucky star never deserted, or perhaps it would be more 
truthful to say his pluck never failed him, and after being held at Charleston 
three or four days he was sent to Florence, South Carolina, to a new stock- 
ade. He was paroled in the last part of December, 1864, and sent to the hos- 
pital at Annapolis. At that place he received a furlough and returned home 
in a very bad conditon, being unable to speak aloud for seven months. But 
he could not be contented to stay at home, and at great risk to himself he went 
to Richmond, Virginia, where he rejoined his regiment, and with it par- 
ticipated in the Grand Review at Washington, D. C, filling his old position of 
color bearer, which he had held for the last fourteen months of his service, 
and carrying the battle scarred flag of his regiment. Another incident which 
showed his indomitable courage and pluck was when on May 19, 1863, 
he was severe])- wounded in the abdomen. The wound was of a peculiar 
nature, a ball having pierced through twenty-seven thicknesses of his rubber 
blanket and a heavy brass belt plate, this ball and plate being now a dearly 
appreciated heir-loom in the family. He was immediately sent to the hos- 
pital, but on the same evening, he escaped the guards and crawled back to 
the battle field, accompanying his regiment on a forced march up the Yazoo. 
However the wound did not heal and later became so serious that he was 
unable to carry a gun or wear a belt. He was assigned to light duty about 
camp, and was made camp postmaster. He positively refused to go to the 
hospital, preferring to stick to his regiment and take the fortunes of war 
as they came. He was mustered out on August 25, 1865, at Little Rock, Ar- 
kansas, being at that time color bearer and postmaster of his regiment. He 
returned to Findlay broken in health, but remembering the healthy life of 
the western frontier and being inured to the outdoor life, he set resolutely 
to work to recover his health, and went to Kansas and camped on the prairie 
for three months. He again went to Lawrence and went into the auctioneer- 
ing and second-hand furniture business. A j'^ear later he bought a farm 
near Lawrence and remained there some six years, but his faith in Ohio had 
not wavered, and in 1874 he returned to his native county, where he farmed 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 103 

until 1S97, when he retired and moved to Findlay, where he has resided ever 
since. 

His faithful wife, who has shared his fortunes and misfortunes, was 
Amanda J., daughter of Anthony W. and Mary J. (McRill) Strother, and 
whose great uncle, Robert Strother, was a soldier of Revolutionary war 
fame, from the colony of Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Glathart have seven chil- 
dren : Lena B., the wife of Captain T. L. Huston, Second United States 
iLngineers; Harry A.; Floy M., wife of Levi K. Harvitt; Edna E., wife of 
Samuel H. Warren, died August 25, 1897; Rolland L. ; Gail J., wife of Harry 
Riemund; and Carl A. Rolland L. Glathart was a private in Company A, 
Second Ohio Infantry, in the Spanish-American war, enlisting in March, 
1898, with his company, of which he had been a member since April 21, 1897. 
He served eleven months, holding the rank of sergeant when mustered out, 
having received his promotion on August i, 1898. He was located in the 
camps at Knoxville, Chickamagua and Macon, Georgia. Carl A. Glathart 
enlisted in the United States, navy June 6; 1900, and was immediately as- 
signed to the training ship Essex, where he remained a year. His second 
assignment was on the battleship Alabama, and he is now with that ship. 

The only order to which Mr. Glathart pays allegiance is that of Stoker 
Post No. 54, Grand Army of the Republic, in which he is a time-honored 
and much esteemed member. In politics he is of Republican faith, in the 
ranks of which party he is a conscientious voter. Lie does not associate with 
any religious body. 

CHRISTIAN HEYN. 

Christian Heyn, editor and proprietor of the Wochenblatt, a weekly Ger- 
man newspaper, published at Findlay, Ohio, was born in Elgersburg, Thur- 
ingia, Saxony, in 1859, and he is a son of Christian Heyn, who was a native 
of Manebach, Germany, born in 1832. He came with his family to America 
in 1886, and died in 1894, at Findlay, wdiere his widow still resides. 

Our subject came to America in 1881 and located in Cincinnati, where 
he started the first mask factory in the United States, which he carried on 
for three years, selling to other parties at the end of that time. In 1884 
he came to Findlay, where many of the most highly esteemed citizens 
are of German birth, and again started a mask factory, which business is 
still carried on under the name of the American Mask Manufacturing 
Company. After four years Mr. Heyn sold his interest in the factory 
and bought an interest in the newspaper of which he became sole owner a year 



I04 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

later. He is an independent Democrat and his journal is conducted in the in- 
terest of that party, but aside from poHtics, it is a paper of great merit and 
general interest. 

In 1885 our subject was married, in Findlay, to Miss Clara Dietsh, and 
their two daughters were named Hilde and Emilie. Mrs. Heyn died March i, 
1892, at the age of thirty-seven years. In fraternal connection Mr. Heyn is 
a Mason of the blue lodge, and his religious association is with the German 
Lutheran church. 

MAJOR BRIGHT. 

One of the large landowners and successful agriculturists of Hancock 
county is Major Bright, who is descended from old pioneers of the county, 
prominent in business and public affairs. Our subject's grandparents were 
Major and Deborah (Moore) Bright, both natives of Maryland, who came 
to Hancock county in 1829, when there was little evidence of its becoming 
the great country it now is. The family first made their home in Fairfield 
county but later removed to this county. Mr. Bright was a hard-working man 
and when he came to this state he had little personal property and no real es- 
tate ; but he entered a thousand acres of government land and by his industry 
soon possessed valuable interests, which were subsequently divided among his 
children. He was a man of some influence and held one of the important 
public offices of the county. He died about 1845, ^^^ his wife in 1879 ^^ 
ninety-three years of age. Of the ten children of the family some became 
prominent citizens in the county. 

One of the sons of the above family was Nimrod, who was born in Fair- 
field county in 1813, but came with his father to this county. He inherited 
i'our hundred acres from his father and to this added fourteen hundred acres 
more, at the time of his death his property being worth thirty thousand dollars. 
He was a man of strong convictions and not easily changed from his ideas of 
right, and that he was a good business man is shown by his large property. 
He was one of the influential members of the United Brethren church, and in 
his early years he was a Democrat in political belief, but about the time of 
the formation of the Republican party he joined its ranks. His death occurred 
December 27, 1893. He had been married three times, in June, 1833, ^o Har- 
riet Wisely, who died in i860, the mother of nine children, of whom seven 
are living. His second wife was Margaret Flack, who bore him two children, 
one living. For his third wife he took the sister of his second wife, Julia A., 
who is now (1902) living; by this marriage were four born, of whom two 
are living. 





(A 



ucJi^"^ 




CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 105 

Major Bright, the subject of this sketch, is a son of the first marriage, 
being born on July 23, 1835, i^^ Big Lick township, Hancock county. He was 
reared and educated in his native township, also at Westerville, in Franklin 
county. He inherited his share of his father's estate, to the amount of three 
hundred and twenty acres and to this he later added two hundred and forty 
acres more. He now owns and operates three hundred and twenty acres of 
valuable land in Amanda township and is recognized as one of the leading 
agriculturists of the county. 

In 1856 Mr. Bright was married to Sarah S. Firman, the daughter of 
Erastus and Kesiah W. Firman, of Delaware county ; she was born in Licking 
county, December 11, 1834. Of the four children born to them three are now- 
living: Elizabeth A., now Mrs. Ewing; Emma Lois, the wife of Edgar Wil- 
cox; and Nimrod W., a prominent man of the county and a candidate for 
probate judge. The Bright family are members of the United Brethren church, 
in which Mr. Bright has served as class leader, steward, superintendent and 
teacher of the Sunday-school. In politics the members of the family hold the 
views of the Republican party. 

GEORGE W. PETERS. 

The subject of this sketch is of Virginia ancestry and comes of a family 
whose descendants have long been settled in Ohio. His grandfather, Am- 
brose Peters, came with his wife from the Old Dominion in 1849 and first 
settled in Jefferson county, Ohio, but later removed to Hancock county, buy- 
ing land in Washington township, a part of which afterward became the 
site on which the town of Arcadia now stands. The family of Ambrose 
Peters consisted of ten children : Ann, deceased wife of J. Laughlin ; Cath- 
erine, deceased wife of Joseph Dillery; John; Abraham; Mary, wife of Seth 
Smith; Elizabeth, wife of George Taylor; David; Susan, wife of John Ribley; 
Middleton and Sabina (both deceased). John Peters, third of the above 
enumerated children, was born in Virginia, February 5, 1829, and was con- 
sequently twenty years old when his parents reached Ohio. October 9, 1851, 
he married Cynthia McFadden, by whom he had eight children: Ambrose, 
married to Elizabeth Ewing; Christena J., wife of John C. Thomas; Amos 
W., married Rosa Kamp; George W., subject of this sketch; Ida, Abraham 
L., Alice and David. Six of these are residents of Hancock county. The 
father settled in Big Lick township, where he accumulated several hundred 
acres of land, some of which he gave to his children, and with his wife is liv- 
ing at his old homestead in the enjoyment of a serene old age. 



106 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

His son, George W. Peters, was born in Big Lick township, Hancock 
county, Ohio, July lo, i860, and was trained to farm hfe from childhood. 
At the present time he owns and operates a farm of one hundred and twenty 
acres in Big Lick township and ranks as one of the progressive agriculturists 
of the county. All of his adult years have been spent in agricultural pursuits 
and he has been successful in his business, as the result of industry, combined 
with good judgment and good management. August 18, 1882, Mr. Peters 
was united in marriage with Miss Lucy Kinsel, a native of Big Lick township, 
where her birth occurred August 31, 1863. The children resulting from this 
union, four in number, are as follows: Nellie, born July 23, 1884; Edna, 
born January 14, 1886; Wilber, born March 15, 1887; and Clara, who was 
born October 11, 1899, and died September 13, 1900. Mr. and Mrs. Peters 
are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which the former has held 
the position of steward. The Peters family, both of the older and younger 
generations, during their long connection with Hancock county affairs, have 
always enjoyed good standing as friends, neighbors and citizens. They have 
contributed their full share to that agricultural development which has given 
Hancock county prominence for its fine stock, well cultivated fields and beau- 
tiful country homes. 

ALBERT L. EWING. 

Among the younger generation of farmers in Hancock county none 
stand better or have made better use of their opportunities than the gentle- 
man whose name heads this sketch. The family has long been identified 
with the affairs of Hancock county and three generations of the name have 
contributed their share toward its growth and prosperity. It was about the 
year 1832 that William Ewing came with his wife and young children to Ash- 
land county, Ohio, where he settled and remained a number of years. Dur- 
ing this period he visited Hancock county and being pleased with its outlook, 
purchased three hundred and twenty acres of land. This property he event- 
ually gave to his children and eighty acres went to his son, John D. Ewing, 
who later traded the same for a farm in Big Lick township. John D. was 
born September 7, 1822, near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and was only ten 
3'ears old when his parents settled in Ashland county. He was a man of in- 
telligence and after locating in Hancock county rose to positions of influence, 
holding the offices of land appraiser, township trustee and treasurer. His 
religious affiliations were with the Presbyterian church, his politics Demo- 
cratic and he ended his days on his farm in Big Lick township February 4, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 107 

1 90 1. In early life John D. Ewing had married Martha E. Cooper, with 
whom he lived happily until the time of her death, which occurred February 
14, 1881. They became the parents of four children: Amanda J., Sarah E., 
A. P. and A. L. Ewing. The latter, who is the immediate subject of this 
sketch, was born on the home farm in Big Lick township, Hancock county, 
Ohio, January 23, 1861. He was reared and trained on the farm which he 
now occupies and there is little connected with the details of practical agri- 
culture which he has not learned from experience. At the present time he 
owns one hundred and sixty acres, all of which is in excellent condition and 
exhibits the evidences of scientific cultivation, painstaking care and other signs 
of good husbandry. Mr. Ewing has been successful in his ventures, his farm 
has yielded him fair returns and he has received the reward which seldom fails 
to follow intelligent labor backed by cool judgment. In 1884 Mr. Ewing 
was united in marriage with Miss Eva R., the estimable daughter of William 
and Rachel Warren, the former of whom was a successful farmer, who died 
at the age of sixty-two years. This union has proved congenial in every way, 
imd the happy household of Mr. and Mrs. Ewing is the meeting place of 
many friends who are always entertained in the most cordial and hospitable 
manner. Mr. Ewing is of Scotch-Irish descent through his father, and of 
German extraction on the Cooper side. 

HENRY C. SMITH. 

Henry C. Smith is one who owes his own advancement entirely to his 
enterprising efforts. He has steadily worked his way upward until he is now 
manager of the carpet department for the firm of J. S. Patterson & Sons, in 
their store at Findlay. His parents were William H. and Caroline (Click) 
Smith, natives of Germany, where he was born in 1838 and she in 1842. 
They came to this country in early life, where he pursued the cabinetmaker's 
trade with success and they are now enjoying the fruits of their industry in 
quiet retirement. Their son, Henry C, was born in December, 1859, at Find- 
lay, was graduated in the high school in 1879, and after putting aside his text 
books entered upon his business career, his first year being spent in the em- 
ployment of the Lake Erie & Western Railroad Company. In 1882 he entered 
the store of Patterson & Sons, in which he accepted the position of clerk and 
utility man, but his willingness to work, his close application and. fidelity to duty 
led continuously to promotion, until in 1894 he was made manager of the car- 
pet department and has since served in this capacity. 

In 1 89 1, in Findlay, Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Leotia 



io8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

A. Keltner, and they now have two children: Agnes E., born September 3, 
1892, and Herbert L., born March 14, 1897. Orlando Keltner, father of 
Mrs. Smith, was a son of Isaiah Keltner, a veteran of the Mexican and Civil 
wars, who is still living at the advanced age of eighty-four years. Mr. Smith 
votes with the Democracy and has served as a member of the library board of 
this city. Socially he is connected with the Benevolent and Protective Order of 
Elks, the Knights of Pythias and the Knights of Korassan. In business he is 
found as a genial, obliging and courteous salesman, and in all relations of life 
he manifests strong fidelity to honorable principles, so that he has gained the 
esteem and confidence of a large circle of friends. 

LEVI FAEK. 

Levi Falk is one of the prominent business men of the village of Mount 
Cory, Ohio, and certainly merits mention among the men of action and 
progress who have been the principal forces in the growth and develop- 
ment of Hancock county within the past half century. While his life has 
not been filled with the eventful scenes which add color to the history of many 
men, yet, as history proves that the nation without war-burdened and sen- 
sational annals is the most prosperous, so in individuals the busy man who 
does his work carefully and conscientiously may have no record that would 
appeal to the imagination of the novelist; and Mr. Falk is pre-eminently 
a busy man, and although he is not the oldest man in the thriving little town 
of Mount Cory, he is said to be the oldest business man in the limits of that 
corporation. 

Gideon and Hannah (Kemerer) Falk were the parents of our subject; 
they were both natives of the state of Pennsylvania, the former born in 181 1 
and the latter in 18 16. In 1848 Gideon removed with his father Mathias 
to Hancock county, and the former located in section 22 of Union township, 
where he bought two hundred and forty acres of land, some of which was 
partially improved. He began at once the work of improvement and culti- 
vation and he was one of the pioneers to whom much credit is due for the 
reclaiming of the wilderness and the breaking of the virgin soil. He pos- 
sessed rare business qualifications, and his advice and counsel were often 
sought by his neighbors. And not only was he an expert farmer and a keen, 
foresighted business man, but he had those characteristics which allowed 
his fellow-citizens to designate him by that high title of "a good man," in 
which is summed up the estimate of one's influence toward the cause of all 
that is high and noble and true. He and his wife were members of the 




. XoJk.. 







^ 



C^^^i:<^ W^zVc/^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 109 

Evangelical church, and he was a firm believer in the principles of the Re- 
publican party. His deatli occurred in 1892, when he was eighty-one years 
old, and his good wife died in 1901, aged eighty-six years. They were the 
parents of eight children, seven of whom grew to maturity and three are living 
at present, Levi and his sister being residents of this county. 

Levi Falk was born in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, November 26, 
1847, ^"^^ ^vas therefore one year old when he was brought by his parents 
to Hancock. He owes much to the careful training which he received at 
the hands of his father and mother and he made good use of the golden op- 
portunities wdiich lie before the feet of every youth, in the school-room, m 
his recreation and in the performance of his set tasks. His first important 
business enterprise was the operating of an elevator and grist-mill combined. 
This plant had been built at Mount Cory some years before by Dr. H. P. 
Eaton and operated by him; he was succeeded by Zay & Runkle, and they 
by Mr. Falk in 1877. Mr. Falk was very successful in this enterprise and 
he continued its operation up to 1895, in which year it was destroyed by fire 
and was not rebuilt. He next began making extensive deals in hay, shipping 
it to various points, but in 1902 he discontinued his active business career, 
and while he is too young and vigorous to go on the retired list, he takes 
life more leisurely and does not find it necessary to push forward with the 
energy he has displayed in the past. He owns a farm of one hundred and 
sixty acres in Union township, which he purchased in 1894, and he now 
oversees the cultivation of its crops. 

In 1871 Mr. Falk was united in marriage to Miss Maggie M. Zay, the 
daughter of William E. and Margaret Zay; she was born in Germany in 
1847, of which country Mr. Falk's ancestors were also natives. Mr. and 
Mrs. Falk have no children. They are members of the Protestant Methodist 
church at Mount Cory; he is one of the popular citizens of the township 
and has been chosen to the office of treasurer for several terms. He is a 
man of many sterling qualities and well deserves his success. In politics, 
he has been a life-long Republican and is a member of Mt. Cory Lodge, No. 
495, Knights of Pythias. 

JOHN MONTGOMERY. 

This gentleman, who is at present a retired farmer living at Bluffton, 
Ohio, is a worthy member of an interesting family, whose history carries us 
back to the most exciting times of the pioneer period. John Montgomery, 
the young Irishman whose emigration led to the founding of this family in 



no CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

America, came over in the eighteenth century, at a time sufficiently early to 
enable him to take part in the Revolutionary war as a soldier under Wash- 
ington. He made his way to southwestern Pennsylvania, where his descend- 
ants lived during the time when there was almost constant coniiict between 
the white and red men in the frontier regions bordering the Ohio river. 
William Montgomery, son of the Irish emigrant and Revolutionary patriot, 
was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, but found his way at an 
early age to the nearby county of Columbiana, just across the river in Ohio. 
There he married Sarah, daughter of William Fonts, also from Pennsyl- 
vania, engaged in farming and followed that occupation until his death, at 
the age of eighty-seven years, his wife living to celebrate her eighty-third 
birthday. This pioneer couple had twelve children, five sons and seven daugh- 
ters, all of whom grew to maturity. John Montgomery, the venerable farmer 
whose biography is the main object of this writing, was the fourth child and 
eldest son in the family above mentioned. He was born in Columbiana 
county, Ohio, February i, 1824, and remained on the farm in his native hills 
tmtil a year or two after reaching his majority. In 1847 he came to Han- 
cock county and took up his residence in a log cabin situated on unimproved 
land in Orange township. Mr. Montgomery was young and robust, was 
not afraid of work and thus the task before him did not seem so appalling 
as it does to a modern "tenderfoot." He set resolutely to th^ business before 
him, which was to convert a lot of heavily-wooded and partly submerged land 
into a farm fit for cultivation. This, of course, involved an immense amount 
of labor and no end of worry, as they say in the country, but by patience and 
unflagging industry Mr. Montgomery eventually accomplished his object. 
The result is now before any one who visits that section in the shape of a 
well cleared, well fenced and well ordered farm of the modern Ohio type, 
with its neat residence, commodious outbuildings and all other essentials of 
up-to-date agriculture. After continuing in the business over sixty years Mr. 
Montgomery decided that he had done his share and was entitled to a rest. 
In 1 89 1 he turned the farm over to his sons and located at Bluff ton, where he 
lived retired from all active business and free from worrying pursuits of 
every kind. No one of his means did more than Mr. Montgomery to build 
up and civilize Orange township, and his long life there was made useful in 
many ways, not only to himself and family, but to the public. 

February 18, 1847, Mr. Montgomery was married in his native county 
to Eleanor McClain, who had come there from Greene county, Pennsylvania, 
where she was born November 12, 1827. She was the daughter of a Penn- 
sylvania farmer named David McClain, who married Rebecca West and later 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY m 

removed to Ohio, where they reared a family of ten children, consisting of 
three sons and seven daughters. Mrs. Montgomery, the third child and sec- 
ond daughter, when nine years old was brought from Pennsylvania by her 
parents to Wyandot county, Ohio, and spent all of her subsequent life in dif- 
ferent parts of the state. By her marriage to Mr. Montgomery slie became 
the mother of seven children, but of these only three are now living: Re- 
becca, wife of William Kinnel, is a resident of Bluffton; Jesse S. and F. 
Marion are farmers in Orange township; Eliza, William and Alice, the first, 
second and seventh born, respectively, are deceased. Mr. Montgomery, as 
previously stated, retired from business some years ago and left the farm in 
charge of his sons. During his active career he held various township offices, 
including those of trustee, treasurer and assessor, and for a long period was 
one of the principal men in reclamation of the land comprising Orange 
township and in building up that portion of Hancock county. 

MELVIN E. EWING. 

During the latter, part of the eighteenth century, there lived in Ireland a 
hard working and honest mechanic by the name of William Ewing. Weary- 
ing of rack-rents, oppressive landlords and the other ills which "Patient merit 
of the unworthy takes," this poor peasant determined to seek refuge in the 
land of freedom across the deep sea. Accordingly, about the year 1800. he 
made his appearance in America and found a hospitable welcome in the state 
of Maryland, where he worked for a while at his trade as a mason. He mar- 
ried Miss Polly England, removed to Fairfield county, Ohio, cultivated a 
small farm and reared a family of eight children, all of whom did well and 
reached places of prominence in various occupations. Samuel Ewing, one of 
his sons, born in 181 1, was married in Fairfield county to Rebecca Alspach 
and in 1834 removed to Hancock county, where he purchased and improved 
one hundred and twenty acres of land in Amanda township. Samuel was a 
brickmaker and manufactured the first brick that were made in that part of 
the country where he had settled. He was a man of upright life and indus- 
trious habits, a class leader and steward in the Methodist Protestant church, 
and altogether his life may be pronounced an unusually prosperous one. He 
accumulated considerable property and some time before his death, which 
occurred in 1878, he had sold his farm and retired from business after making 
suitable provision for his children. His wife, who was of the same age as 
her husband, having been born in 181 1, outlived him ten years and passed 
away in 1888. Of their seven children four are living and included in this 



112 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

number is William E. Ewing, who was born in Hancock county, Ohio, in 
1836. He grew up on his father's farm in Amanda township and eventually 
became the owner of seventy-three acres of land on which he has resided 
during his entire life, with the exception of four years. He is regarded as a 
good farmer as well as a worthy citizen, belongs to the United Brethern 
church and has served his township in various offices of trust and responsi- 
bility. In 1856 he married Lydia Cross, who died June 28, 1859, leaving one 
son, Melvin E. In 1861 Mr. Ewing espoused Sarah E. Beck, who died in 
1873 without issue. His third wife, with whom he is now living, was Levina 
Alspach and by this union there is one son, Loren B. Melvin E. Ewing, the 
subject of this sketch and product of his father's first marriage, was born in 
Amanda township, Hancock county, Ohio, June 9, 1857, and from that time 
on has been a continuous resident of his native place. Having grown up on 
the farm and learned the details of the business, he chose this as his life's 
work and though he has had his share of the cares and disappointments inci- 
dent to the calling, on the whole he has been quite successful. In 1885 he 
made his first purchase of real estate, consisting of the eighty acres which 
constitute his present home. He was fortunate in the selection of a life part- 
ner, having chosen as his bride Miss Lizzie A. Bright, a talented lady who had 
gained high reputation as an experienced school teacher. Her birth occurred 
in Delaware county, Ohio, February 2, 1858, and she was married to Mr. 
Ewing in December, 1882. This union, which has proved in every way con- 
genial and helpful to the contracting parties, has been strengthened by the 
birth of the following named children: Dressel D., in 1883; Erank W., in 
1887; Selwin B., in 1892, and Orin E., in 1894. Dressel is a graduate of the 
Van Lue school and Frank W. expects to graduate in 1903. Mr. and Mrs. 
Ewing are members of the United Brethren church, in which he has held the 
position of Sunday-school superintendent, conference delegate, trustee and 
steward. In fact, both as a church member and a man of affairs, the influence 
of Melvin E. Ewing has long been recognized in the community of which he 
is an esteemed member. 

DAVID M. DREISBACH. 

The above named gentleman, at Dresent a prominent farmer of Blanch- 
ard township, is a member of an extensive family long known in various 
callings, but especially in connection with religious affairs. Both the father 
and grandfather of Mr. Dreisbach were distinguished ministers of the 
Evangelical church, and i;wo of his brothers are also ministers of the gospel 




MRS, D. M. DREISBACH. 




Jy . o^. J£),^dUiU^t^ueA^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 113 

of the same denomination. As the genealogy of the family is sketched in 
connection with Mr. Gabriel M. Dreisbach in another part of this volume, 
it will not be necessary to repeat all the particulars concerning the earlier 
branches, but some additional particulars will be given about the more im- 
mediate ancestors. The grandparents of our subject were Rev. John and 
Fannie (Eyer) Dreisbach, who had thirteen children. The former was a 
pioneer of the infant Evangelical church in Pennsylvania, became its first 
presiding elder and was instrumental in the organization of its first general 
conference. He was a man of prominence and influence in his native state, 
being elected to the legislature and editor of the church paper called the 
"Evangelical Messenger." He was recognized as a pulpit orator of great 
power and his fame as a church worker, during his long and blameless life, 
extended over Pennsylvania and even beyond the limits of his native state. 
His mantle and many of his personal characteristics descended to his son, 
Abraham E. Dreisbach, who also became noted in the Evangelical ministry. 
Born in Union county, Pennsylvania, in 1818, he married Mary A. Miesse, 
a native of the same state and county, who was tw^o years his junior. Of 
the ten children born to this union the following named are living : Caroline 
M., John M., Susanna M., David M., Gabriel M., Cornelius M., Abraham 
M., Mary A. M., and Benjamin. Daniel, tw^in brother of the last mentioned, 
died at an early age. The mother died in 1857, ^"^^ the husband's second 
wife was Elizabeth Strome, who died in 1871 without issue. The third wife 
of Mr. Dreisbach was Sarah Hankey who was also childless. In 1844 Rev. 
Abraham Dreisbach entered the Evangelical ministry and was for thirty years 
actively connected therewith. His circuit at one time embraced the counties 
of Pickaway, Franklin, Delaware, Wyandot, Seneca, Sandusky, Wood and 
Hancock, and it was his custom to visit them twice a year. Like his father, 
he rose to a position of influence and was considered one of the leading min- 
isters of the association, being presiding elder for four years. He also 
achieved a name in literature, and deserved especial credit from the fact that 
he was entirely self-made and owed all his success to his individual efforts. 
This good man passed away August 28, 1876, leaving to his children the 
priceless heritage of an unsullied name. Two of his sons also became min- 
isters of the gospel, John M. belonging to the Evangelical, and Abraham to 
the ministry of the United Brethren church. 

David M. Dreisbach, fourth of the children, was born in Pickaway 
county, Ohio, September 28, 1845, ^^^^^ ^^'^^ reared and educated in Seneca 
county, where he had been taken by his father when seven years old. In 1868 
he came to Hancock county and located on forty acres of land purchased in 



114 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Liberty township. Subsequently he sold this farm and moved to Benton 
Ridge, where he engaged in general merchandising, besides operating a flour- 
ing mill in which he owned a half interest. After continuing in these lines 
until 1 87 1, Mr. Dreisbach purchased eighty acres of land in Findlay town- 
ship, which he cultivated for the ten following years, and then removed to 
Delaware township. There he purchased two hundred and forty acres of 
well improved land which he devoted to the raising of fine stock. At the 
present time Mr. Dreisbach resides on and operates three hundred and twenty 
acres of fertile land in Blanchard tov/nship, where he is recognized as one 
of the county's representative agriculturists. He enlisted as a member of 
Company. B, One Hundred and Ninety-fifth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer In- 
fantry, and served in the army of the Potomac until honorably discharged 
in December, 1865. While living in Delaware township he served several 
years as assessor, and land appraiser, and he has served six years as assessor 
of Blanchard township. 

October 15, 1867, Mr. Dreisbach was united in marriage with Miss 
Caroline, daughter of Jacob and Mary B. Wagner, of Fairfield county, Ohio. 
The children resulting from this union are: Lillie W., born in 1869; Silas 
W., born in 1873; Helen W., in 1875; William H. W., in 1877; Aaron W., 
in 1879; David W., in 1881 ; and Arthur W. in 1884. Mr. Dreisbach is a 
member of the United Brethren church, in which he has held all the offices 
except that of minister. He also holds membership in the Free and Accepted 
Masons, the Maccabees and the Grand Army of the Republic, being a popu- 
lar and esteemed associate in all these fraternal orders. 

H. A. BRICKMAN. 

This gentleman, who is one of the most prosperous and progressive of 
the younger generation of farmers in Hancock county, belongs to that element 
generally designated in this country, German-Americans. His father, Fred- 
erick Brickman, was born in Germany in 1833 and married a lady named 
Frederika Zenkel, whose birth occurred in the same country in 1835. In 1857 
not long after their marriage, this worthy German couple concluded to try their 
fortunes in the "land of the free," and in due time made their way to Hancock 
county. They located at Arcadia, where they remained six years, and in 
1863 removed to Portage township, where Mr. Brickman had purchased a 
farm of eighty acres. As his affairs prospered his real estate holdings in- 
creased until they amounted to the one hundred and seventy-two acres, which 
are now in possession of his son. Frederick Brickman was a man of more 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 115 

than average good qualities and commanded nni\'ersal respect in his com- 
munity. The fact that he was several times elected to the important office of 
township trustee shows the estimate put upon his business ability and honesty 
by his neighbors and constituents. He was a man of moral and upright char- 
acter and a consistent member of the German Lutheran church, in which he 
held various responsible offices at different times. His hospitality was of the 
most cordial kind, he loved to entertain his numerous friends and so many were 
his acts of charity and assistance in time of need to the deserving that it would 
be useless to attempt to mention half of them. Few men were more popular 
and none could count their friends in larger numbers than this kind native of 
the "vaterland." After a life of usefulness, largely devoted to the happiness 
of others, this good man passed to his final rest, December 20, 1892. His ex- 
cellent wife, who shared his joys and sorrows for so many years, survived him 
only a year or two, her death occurring in 1894. Of their eight children, the 
only survivors are W. G. and H. A. Brickman. The latter was born on the 
farm he now owns, in Portage township, Hancock county, Ohio, in 1877, and 
he received his education in the neighborhood schools. Since reaching man- 
hood he has devoted his entire time to agricultural pursuits and the general 
appearance of his fine farm shows that he understands his business. He is 
up-to-date in his methods and keeps well informed as to the various improve- 
ments so constantly taking place in modern agriculture. Mr. Brickman de- 
votes his place to general farming and stock raising, depending on the stand- 
ard crops and natural increase of his herds for the remuneration which sel- 
dom fails to come to the industrious farmer. He inherits many of the traits 
of his excellent father and is one of the popular young men of his township, 
tor whom' a prosperous future is freely predicted by his associates. In 1899 
Mr. Brickman was united in marriage with Miss Nora, daughter of Peter 
Kuaile, a young lady of great popularity, attractive manners and a most 
agreeable personality. 

MOSES McANELLY. 

No family in Hancock county has been longer or more favorably known 
than the one which bears the name above transcribed. It was founded by the 
iate Moses McAnelly, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1804 and became a 
resident of Hancock county in 1836. Before leaving his native state he taught 
school several years and this occupation he continued for some time after he 
established his new home in Ohio. He soon found himself able Lo purchase 
one hundred and sixty acres of land in Big Lick township, which during the 



ii6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

course of his long and industrious life he increased to four hundred acres. 
His public career, which was destined to be conspicuous for its usefulness and 
brilliant display of varied ability, commenced in 1839 by his election to the 
lower house of the Ohio legislature. After two terms in that body, served 
with constantly increasing popularity, Mr. McAnelly was rewarded by pro- 
motion to the state senate, in which he also served two terms most acceptably 
to his constituents. The districts were then larger than at the present time and 
the one represented by Mr. McAnelly included five counties of Ohio. In ad- 
dition to his legislative duties he served various terms as justice of the peace 
and his judicial responsibility was discharged with the same fidelity and integ- 
rity that characterized all of his public work. His affiliations were with the 
Democratic party, of which he became a conspicuous and influential leader. 
He was a forcible and eloquent speaker and few men of his day excelled him 
m the art of convincing his hearers to think as he did. He enjoyed the repu- 
tation of being an honest and conscientious public functionary whose efforts 
were always directed toward rendering the best possible service for the wel- 
fare of his constituents. In 1833 he was united in marriage with Mary, daugh- 
ter of Hon. William and Nancy Roller, a lady of high social rank, whose 
birth occurred in Pennsylvania, September 28, 1812, and who came to Rich- 
land county, Ohio, with her parents at the age of twelve years. The union of 
Hon. Moses McAnelly and Mary Roller resulted in the birth of eight children, 
of whom the following named grew to maturity : Lucinda, Charlotte, Moses, 
Judge Jefferson, Nancy and Mary. The father died October 21, 1854, but 
his wife long survived him, not passing to her final rest until March 5, 1898, 
when she closed her career at the advanced age of eighty-five years, five 
months and five days. Moses McAnelly, his father's namesake and youngest 
surviving son, was born in Hancock county, Ohio, March 15, 1853, attended 
the district schools of his township and was trained to farm work from his 
earliest years. In due time he inherited the paternal homestead and his entire 
life has been spent in the place of his nativity. He has shown skill in his 
chosen calling and has so managed his fine estate as to gain recognition as a 
successful and progressive farmer. He has found time, however, for public 
duties and has served his constituents six years as township clerk, assessor 
two terms, and for the last five years has been justice of the peace, an office 
whose duties he has discharged with marked ability and efficiency. December 
15, 1881, Mr. McAnelly was united in marriage with Miss Phebe E., daugh- 
ter of John and Eliza Cooper, whose family was one of distinction and in- 
fluence. Her father. Judge John Cooper, was a native of Fayette county, 
Pennsylvania, where his birth occurred April 25, 181 1. He was the eldest 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY n? 

son of James Cooper, whose paternal ancestry was of Scotch-Irish descent and 
the maternal progenitors of Holland Dutch stock. John Cooper came with 
his parents to Perry county, Ohio, in 1812, when he was still an infant. He 
became a successful farmer, was married December 15, 1830, and two years 
later settled in Hancock county, where his career was useful and dis- 
tinguished. He held various important offices in Portage township and in 
1849 was appointed associate judge, which honorable position he filled ac- 
ceptably until the change of the law in 1852. In 1862 he was elected one of 
the commissioners of Hancock county, and discharged the duties of that office 
with signal discretion and judgment for six years. He was also one of the 
first directors of the county infirmary and gave entire satisfaction by his 
methods of attending to the work devolved upon him by that responsibility. 
Of his nine children four are still living including his daughter, Mrs. Mc- 
Anelly, whose birth occurred in Portage township, October 5, 1853. Judge 
Cooper passed away in 1892 at the venerable age of eighty-one, and his wife, 
after surviving him two years, terminated her life in 1894. The union of 
Moses McAnelly and Phebe E. Cooper resulted in the birth of five children : 
John C, Mary, Thomas H., Roller C. and Lois. He and his wife were at- 
tentive members of the Methodist Episcopal church and Mr. McAnelly is 
connected with the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. 
The family move in the best social circles of the county and are widely and 
favorably known in the section where they reside. 

J. L. HIGBIE, M. D. 

During his residence of thirteen years at Jenera the above named gen- 
tleman has become quite a feature of the village life, not only as a medical 
practitioner, but because of his prominence in political, social and fraternal 
affairs. Still in the prime of life and popular with all classes, no movement 
goes on for the betterment of conditions in the community that Dr. Higbie 
is not found well to the front doing his full share to help things along. As 
will be seen later on the public confidence in him has often been expressed 
by his election to various offices, and Van Buren township has no more ener- 
getic or public spirited citizen. In fact he might be properly described as a 
"worthy son of a worthy sire," as his father, Henry H. Higbie, has long been 
an influential factor in Allen county and a noted educator of the old school. 
He was born in Knox county, and the death of his father threw him on 
his own resources at an early period. Through the assistance of an aunt 
he was enabled to attend Heidelberg College, at Tiffin, and by diligent appli- 



Ii8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPEIICAL HISTORY 

cation succeeded in getting" a fair education at that institution. With this 
equipment as his only capital, aside from his personal qualifications, young 
Higbie began school teaching at the age of seventeen, and continued in that 
occupation for twenty-one successive years. During this long period he had 
for his pupils a whole generation of Ohioans, many of whom subsequently 
rose to high positions in the different walks of life. Dr. Norton, who became 
a member of congress from his district, obtained his early education under 
Professor Higbie's care, and the number of successful business and pro- 
fessional men who got the benefit of his instruction is too large for mention. 
Besides his work in Ohio he taught for a while in Indiana, and finally located 
on a farm in Allen county, about five miles east of Lima, where he made a 
division of his time between teaching and agricultural pursuits. He served 
as a soldier during the Civil war, has always been found on the right side 
of important public questions and wherever located was respected as a man 
of probity and learning. He still resides in Allen county, and occupies a posi- 
tion of influence both among the older and rising generations as a discreet 
counsellor and well informed man. He married Elizabeth Swaney, who was 
a native of Allen county, descended from Pennsylvania parents, and four 
}ears her husband's junior. By this union there were eight children, all of 
whom are living but one. Dr. Higbie was the eldest, but as he will be fully 
noticed later on, only his brothers and sisters will be mentioned at this point. 
Rev. Frank E. Higbie, the second son, is a minister of the Methodist Epis- 
copal church, who gives promise of much future usefulness. Birdsell, the 
third son, remains at home and looks after the affairs of the farm. Dr. Will- 
iam E. Higbie, who is a graduate of the medical department of the University 
of Cincinnati, is now practicing at Lindsey, Ohio. The three daughters are: 
Jennie; Addie, wife of Milton Dickinson, of Lima; and Cora, wife of David 
Warner, of Westminster, Ohio. 

J. L. Higbie, eldest of this interesting family, was born on the parental 
farm in Allen county, Ohio, February 23, 1863, and with such a father it 
is needless to say he was given a good education. Besides the usual routine 
in the district schools he had the benefit of a course in the Normal University 
at Ada, after which he made preparations for what he had decided upon as 
the work of his life. Li 1885 he entered the office of Dr. H. E. Blackstone, 
who as a graduate of the Ada Normal and the University of Michigan, was 
well qualified as an instructor in medicine, and remained under his tutelage 
about three years. Meantime he supplemented his local instruction by attend- 
ance at lectures in the St. Louis Medical College, where he received his 
diploma with the class which graduated March 6, 1888. Returning home 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 119 

immediately thereafter, Dr. Higbie located in the following year at Jenera, 
where he has since continued in the active practice of his profession. Dr. 
Higbie is a member of the Northwestern Ohio Medical Association, the 
American Medical Association and of the fraternal order of K. O. T. M. 
He affiliates with the Democratic party, and has held the offices of treasurer 
by appointment for two years, justice of the peace by election for five years 
and in igoo was elected mayor of Jenera, a position which he still holds. Janu- 
ary 22, 1891, Dr. Higbie was united in marriage with Mary E., daughter 
of Peter Traucht, the latter a native of Germany, who came with his father 
to Hancock county among the early settlers. Dr. and Mrs. Higbie have three 
children, Una, Lloyd and Merle, and the family enjoy a cordial welcome in 
the best social circles of their section. 

CORNELIUS EWING. 

After a long and industrious life, having fulfilled every duty to state 
and county and performed his full share in helping forward the growth and 
development of his adopted county, the gentleman above named is enjoying a 
period of well earned repose. Having retired from active business, he has 
lived for fifteen years in comparative retirement at Findlay, the thriving 
county seat of Hancock county. The family is of foreign lineage, both John 
and Maria Ewing, the grandparents of. Cornelius, being natives of Germany. 
Jacob and Sophia (Mowery) Ewing, born in Pennsylvania, came to Ash- 
land county, Ohio, in the first quarter of the nineteenth century and there 
lived many years. In 1854 they removed to Hancock county and located on 
two hundred and forty acres of land purchased in Liberty township. Li the 
fulness of years, he and his wife ended their lives in Hancock county, beloved 
and respected by all who knew them. Their family consisted of eight chil- 
dren, of whom there are six survivors and all these residents of Hancock 
county. Cornelius Ewing, the subject of this sketch, was born in Ashland 
county, Ohio, April 16, 1824, and was about thirty years old when he took 
up his abode in Hancock county, where he was destined to lead such an active 
life. He entered actively into business, worked hard, managed well and has 
been rewarded by an abundance of this world's goods. At the present time 
he owns two hundred and eighty-six acres of valuable land, situated in Union 
and Liberty townships. In the last mentioned township there are fifteen oil 
wells on Mr. Ewing's property, which yield a handsome and steady revenue, 
aside from the yield derived through strictly agricultural sources. During 
his years of activity, Mr. Ewing was a useful citizen in his township, where he 



I20 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

served as assessor and in various other capacities of a public nature. Being 
a man of excellent judgment and progressive ideas, his advice was often 
sought and he could always be relied on to assist in advancing every cause 
which promised to aid the community or advance the general welfare. In 
1848 Mr. Ewing was united in marriage with Arminda Ann Sheridan, who 
died a year later without issue. January 29, 1854, Mr. Ewing took a second 
wife in the person of Miss Elizabeth A. Inzley, who was born in Ashland 
county, Ohio, September 24, 1833. This union, which has proved an ideally 
happy one, resulted in the birth of five children: Alvin C, Judson W. (de- 
ceased), Harvey G., Clara A. and Philip W. The father of Mrs. Ewing, T. 
F. Inzley, was bom in Pennsylvania in 1808, and died in South Dakota at 
eighty-two years of age. The mother of Mrs. Ewing was Amelia (Eagle) 
Inzley, born in Wayne county, Ohio, in 1808, and died in Hancock county, 
Ohio, at seventy-five years of age. Mrs. Ewing is a woman who, by her in- 
dustry and economy, has largely aided in making and saving the property 
v/hich forms the basis of the present comfortable financial condition of herself 
and husband. The family are members of the Presbyterian church, in which 
Mr. Ewing held the position of elder for several years. He took up his resi- 
dence in Findlay in 1887, and though he does not worry himself with routine 
affairs he still keeps up an intelligent supervision of his estate and in his home 
dispenses a generous hospitality to his friends. 

HARRY L. TARBOX. 

Harr}^ L. Tarbox, who is the senior member of the firm of Tarbox & Mc- 
Call, proprietors of the Tarbox & McCall quarries, which are situated at 
Findlay, Ohio, is one of the successful business men and much esteemed 
citizens of this city. 

]\Ir. Tarbox is able to trace an honorable ancestry, which, on the ma- 
ternal side at least, ' includes one of the most distingtiished citizens of the 
United States. The mother of our subject was Ruth L. Jackson, a daughter 
of David and Mary Jackson, the former of whom was born on March 3, 
1794, in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. David's parents were Robert 
and Elizabeth (McCorkle) Jackson, who were married in 1786. Robert 
was a son of another David, who was a native of Ireland. This David was the 
son of Dr. Joseph Jackson, a native of the North of Ireland, by his second 
wife, and was born in 1730. This David emigrated to America in 1762, lo- 
cated in Chester county, Pennsylvania, followed blacksmithing and farming 
and died in Lancaster county in the same state. Dr. Joseph Jackson was born 




?^ 



^^^^'^-^ ^ ^^^^^-^^^-r^^;::^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 121 

in 1690 and was twice married, his son by his first wife, Andrew, also emi- 
grating to America. Andrew located, in 1765, in South Carolina, and on 
March 15, 1767, was born Andrew Jackson, his distinguished son. Thus our 
subject is but seven generations removed from this great statesman and 
soldier. 

Harry L. Tarbox v.-as born in Cedarville, Ohio, in 1858, his father, 
Samuel Tarbox, being a native of the state of Maine, his mother being a 
native of Greene county, Ohio. Samuel Tarbox was for many years exten- 
sively engaged in a lumber business, was successful in his enterprises and 
was always regarded with respect by his neighbors and fellow-citizens. After 
finishing his education in the district schools of Cedarville, our subject en- 
gaged in the saw mill business and continued in the same even after his re- 
moval to Fijidlay, in 1889. In 1898 he formed his present partnership with 
James A. McCall and since that time has devoted his energies to the develop- 
ment of his fine quarries. These deposits of stone cover an area of fourteen 
acres, the lime-stone rock extending from two to four hundred feet deep. 
The product is all in the form of crushed stone. This quarry's output per 
season reaches one thousand carloads and is shipped all over the country. 
The firm employs eighteen men. 

March 12, 1884, Mr. Tarbox was married to Miss Essie, daughter of 
Eliphalet and Sarah Daugherty, and born in Cedarville, Greene county, Ohio, 
in i860. To this union were born six children: Nellie, Frederick, Belle, 
Frank, and Edna and Edwin, twins. 

Mr. Tarbox has been a useful citizen, has served on the school board 
with efficiency, and is a Republican in politics. He is a thoroughly reliable 
busin.ess man and one who takes a deep interest in the enterprises which 
will build up his home. He is giving his children educational advantages 
and in every way living up to the demands of good citizenship. 

JAMES CROSS. 

The family of which the above named is one of the strongest repre- 
sentatives, has been identified with Hancock county affai'rs since 1835. At 
that early period Elijah and Elizabeth (Wyant) Cross "moved in" from 
Fairfield county, where they were both born and had grown to maturity, but 
decided on a change of residence some years after marriage. At the time 
Elijah came land of the very best quality was to be had in that part of Ohio 
very cheaply on easy payments, and the newcomer took advantage of the sit- 
uation to buy from the government three hundred and twenty acres in 



122 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Amanda township. Elijah Cross was not only a very worthy man in the 
ordinary relations of life, but he was in some respects a character remarkable 
above the average. His strongest characteristic was his religious inclination, 
which he exhibited throughout life and on all occasions. He threw his home 
open for the entertainment of the ministers of the United Brethren church, 
to which he belonged, and kept the latch string hanging out, as the pioneers 
used to say, for every worthy person and every worthy cause. He was by 
nature gifted with the power of persuasion, and his exhortations are described 
as remarkable for one not trained to oratory. He supported the gospel liber- 
ally and to the full extent of his means, contributing both to the foreign and 
home missionary establishments of the denomination to which he belonged. 
He held every office in the church except that of licensed preacher, and his 
friends always insisted that had he gone into the pulpit regularly he would 
have made a high reputation for evangelical oratory. One of his accomplish- 
ments was the possession of a voice of singular tone and sweetness, which 
could be heard distinctly in melodious resonance above all other voices in 
the congregational singing. By his first wife, who came with him from Fair- 
field county, Elijah Cross had seven children, but all of these have passed 
away except the gentleman who furnishes the immediate subject of this biog- 
raphy. The second wife was Charity Essec, who became the mother of five 
children, none of whom are now living. 

James Cross, who, as above stated, is the only survivor of his father's 
two sets of children, was born on the Hancock county homestead in July, 
1840. His father being a farmer, and a good one, the son was taught the 
])est agricultural methods known at that day, and besides had the principles of 
morality and honest dealing' instilled into him by his pious sire. So when 
he grew up his chief ambition was to have a place of his own, and in due time 
he succeeded in obtaining possession of ten acres of land in his native town- 
ship. This little farm was increased from time to time until Mr. Cross found 
himself the proprietor of one hundred and ten acres of as good land as his 
neighborhood afforded. It is evident without so stating that he has managed 
well, and this is indicated by his success and accumulations. In fact "Jim" 
Cross, as his friends call him, understands his business thoroughly, is shrewd 
in his bargaining and knows how to get the best possible results from his gen- 
eral farming and stock-raising. 

In 1865 Mr. Cross was united in marriage to Mary A., daughter of 
Benjamin and Christina (Kitsmiller) Shull, old residents of Logan county, 
where her birth occurred in 1843. The four children of this union are Ida, 
Clifton, Ada and Clarence, who share with their parents the good will of those 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 123 

who are intimate with the Cross family and know their good quahties. Con- 
sidering the rehgious record of his father, we naturahy expect to find Mr. 
Cross and wife in the United Brethren church, and such is the fact, as they 
are not only members in good standing but enthusiastic as contributors to the 
general work of the denomination. 

RAYMOND COLE. 

During his life time, the subject of this sketch gained success as a farmer 
and business man, but what is far more valuable, he earned the title of an hon- 
est man and a good citizen, an affectionate husband and father. The family 
from which he sprung were long settled in Delaware and his grandfather, 
Perry Cole, died in that state during the earlier half of the nineteenth cen- 
tury. He left a son named James, who married Rachel Webster, and with 
her migrated from their state to Ohio, locating at Huron, in Erie county, 
about 1835. At a later period they resided for a while in Richland county, 
but subsequently went to Ashland and from there to Hancock county, where 
they remained as permanent residents. Their son, Raymond Cole, who was 
born in Ashland county, Ohio, March 5, 1846, was eighteen years old when his 
parents came to Hancock county in 1864. He soon established for himself 
a reputation as a young man of industrious habits and an unusual shrewdness 
in business. He saved money and in 1872 was able to make his first pur- 
chase of land, the same being a tract of eighty acres in Big Lick township. 
Selling this he purchased forty acres of land in the same township, adjoining 
a farm of two hundred acres owned by his wife's parents, for which they 
gave them a deed. Locating on this farm he proceeded to improve it and 
get it under a state of good cultivation, also erecting a beautiful residence, 
in which his widow and daughter now reside. Raymond Cole was a man 
of temperate habits, an exemplary member of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
and in every way a citizen without reproach. In business affairs he ex- 
hibited that cool judgment which invariably accompanies the successful man. 
He held the position of steward in his church, trustee of the camp-meeting 
ground of that denomination and in every way exercised a wholesome influ- 
ence in his community, always being interested in and providing for the wants 
of the needy and unfortunate. Mr. Cole was especially fortunate in the 
selection of a wife and in his marriage relations. Li early manhood he be- 
came acquainted with Miss H. Kate Ward, which acquaintance ripened into 
affection and led to their marriage, April i, 1875. The parents of Mrs. 
Cole were N. H. and Eliza (McCalla) Ward, both natives of Pennsylvania, 



124 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

where their births occurred in 1812 and 1814, respectively. In youth Mr. 
Ward went with his parents to Columbiana county, Ohio, where he remained 
until 1834 and then removed to Findlay. In that place he opened a mer- 
chant tailoring establishment, and being an excellent mechanic as well as a 
shrewd man of affairs, his business flourished and he became cjuite popular 
with a large list of patrons. He remained in Findlay many years and his 
financial success enabled him to purchase four hundred and sixty acres of 
excellent farming land. By his first marriage with a Miss Bayless Mr. 
Ward had one child, now deceased; by a second marriage with a Miss Leon- 
ard he also had one child, now dead; by his third marriage there were three 
children, the two survivors being Mrs. H. Kate Cole and A. J. Ward, the 
latter now occupying his father's homestead farm. After the death of his 
second wife, which occurred in Findlay, the elder Mr. Ward removed to 
Columbiana county, Ohio, where he lived for some years, the births of sev- 
eral of his children occurring there. Eventually he returned to Hancock 
county and died there January 9, 1888, on the homestead farm, his last wife 
passing away February 3, 1901. He was a man of moral and upright life, a 
member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in the performance of all 
duties an example of good citizenship. The union of H. Kate Ward and 
Raymond Cole resulted in the birth of two children, of whom Frosa McL. 
is the only one living. Mr. Cole died October 16, 1900. 

JOHN SCHUBERT. 

Casper Schubert, who was born at Bremen, Germany, about 1792, con- 
cluded a few years after his marriage to one of the neighboring "frauleins" 
that America offered better opportunities for fame and fortune than any 
country of the old world. After frequently talking it over with his wife they 
decided to make the venture, and one fine day in 1835 found them embark- 
ing for the new world from one of the ports of Germany. Crossing the At- 
lantic in those days was quite a different thing from what it is in this age of 
ocean greyhounds, which compass the distance from shore to shore in less 
than a week's time. When Casper Schubert, his young wife and two little 
children, embarked for America it was in a slow sailing vessel, which took 
three months to make the passage. And a journey of that length in the steer- 
age of an ocean sailer was anything but an enticing undertaking. Water 
was scarce, provisions short and sleeping bunks uncomfortable to the last 
degree. The Schuberts long remembered the discomforts of this tedious 
voyage, and in after years often entertained their children, as they sat around 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 125 

the family fireside, with stories of their hardships and wearisome watching 
tor land. Eventually the ship touched dock in New York harbor, and the 
little party of German emigrants walked feebly ashore to face the new prob- 
lems awaiting them in this new and untried country. Without much delay 
they headed for Ohio, and as there were as yet no railways, this, too, proved 
'o tiresome and exasperating journey. At length, however, the little party 
reached their destination and found themselves "all at sea" in the wilds of 
Crawford county. But Casper Schubert was not a man to be discouraged 
by ordinary difficulties, and he lost no time in securing some government land, 
on which he went resolutely to work, with his neighbors consisting principally 
of wolves and Indians. With German foresight he had brought along with 
him a few farming tools from the old country, which proved of great value in 
tilling his wild land. In order to support his family while the first crops were 
growing Casper worked on the turnpikes then being constructed in the county, 
and with the money thus earned managed to pull through till harvest time. 
About 1845 he sold his Crawford county holdings and made a new invest- 
ment in Big Spring township, of what was then Seneca county. On the farm 
of eighty acres thus secured he lived in peace and comfort until his death, 
which occurred in 1888, at the advanced age of ninety-two years. His wife 
and faithful companion had long preceded him to the grave, her death having 
taken place as early as 1873. This worthy couple were such stanch members' 
of the German Lutheran church as to be regarded as the main pillars of the 
edifice and were generally at the front when donations were needed to help 
along worthy enterprises. Besides the two children who accompanied them 
from Germany six others were born to them after the settlement in this 
country. 

Leander Schubert, one of the boys who crossed the ocean with his par- 
ents, was born in Gennany in 1823, and consequently had reached his twelfth 
year when the memorable voyage was entered upon. After reaching Amer- 
ica he learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed with more or less 
assiduity during the wdiole of his life, but he also farmed a good deal and, 
with the assistance of his sons, accumulated landed property amounting to 
three hundred acres. He was a first-class mechanic, wdiose services were al- 
ways in demand, and also ranked as one of the township's useful and enterpris- 
ing citizens. Occasionally he consented to fill a township office, but as a gen- 
eral thing preferred to attend to his own private business. Leander Schubert 
was united in marriage with Susan Grove, by whom he had eight children, but 
only six of these are now living and only two are residents of Hancock county. 
A life-long member of the German Baptist church, he served as its treasurer 



126 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

for many years and took an active part in all the religious work of this de- 
nomination. By his death, which occurred in the fall of 1899, the people of 
his community realized that they had lost a kind neighbor and a useful man 
in all the relations of life. 

John Schubert, son of Leander, was born on the ancestral homestead in 
Hancock county, Ohio, in 1852, and was reared and educated in Big Lick 
township. He inherited the industrious traits of his forefathers, also their 
taste and talent for agriculture, and at an early day took quite naturally to 
farming pursuits. As he grew up he studied the business both practically and 
theoretically, watched the latest inventions and improvements, and by read- 
ing caught a glimpse of progressive and scientific agriculture. He began 
business on a vei*y modest scale at first, but soon showed adaptability and 
a knowledge of trading which have brought him to the front and enabled 
him to show steady progress in his accumulations. After various deals in real 
estate, both as a seller and buyer, he finally purchased and in 1886 settled upon 
his present fine farm of one hundred and twenty-two acres of fertile land in 
Amanda township. This he has brought into a high state of cultivation and 
by good farming and good management makes it produce up to the top notch 
in the way of standard crops and fat stock. December 26, 1878, Mr. Schubert 
was married to Nancy C, daughter of Abram Rangeler, and a member of an 
old time family of Big Lick township. The six children resulting from this 
union are Orplia B., Ernest A., Alletha D., Winnona E., Harry R., and Paul 
E. Mr. and Mrs. Schubert are members of the United Brethren church, in 
which he has held the office of steward. His political affiliations are with the 
Republican party, and he has served the township in various capacities, being a 
member of the school board for fifteen years. 

FRANKLIN WISE. 

The Wise family has been identified with Hancock county affairs for 
sixty years, and during that time its members have figured creditably and 
conspicuously in various walks of life. The founders of the Ohio branch of 
this surname were Benjamin and Lydia (Opp) Wise, who came to Hancock 
county in 1842 and located in Marion township, on a farm of one hundred 
and sixty acres. This land was cultivated by such effective methods as to 
bring its owner a comfortable competence and eventually he rose to 
a position of influence in his community. This was manifested by his 
election at various times to township offices, including that of assessor, 
which he held for several terms. The eight of his eleven children 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 127 

now living are: Fannie, Vine, Benjamin J., Mary, Sarah, Lydia, Franklin 
and Dickson, those deceased being- Isabelle, Israel and Jane. The mother of 
this family died in March, 1885, and the father in 1890. 

Franklin Wise, next to the youngest of his father's surviving children, 
was born on the family homestead in Hancock county, Ohio, in 1851, and was 
reared and educated in Marion township. In 1872, as soon as he had reached 
his majority, he bought forty acres of land in Big Lick township, but soon 
disposed of this and purchased another farm in the same locality. In 1885 
he bought a tract of fifty-six acres in Amanda township, which was disposed 
of in 1892 and the proceeds invested in the farm of one hundred and two 
acres which constitutes his present homestead. It is good land and Mr. Wise, 
by devoting it to general farming and cultivating as well as managing with 
care, has met with that success which usually awaits the patient husband- 
man. 

In 1875 he was united in marriage with Miss Harriet, a daughter of 
James and Mary (Morehart) Van Horn, whose birth occurred in Amanda 
township in 1852. This union, which has proved in every way congenial 
and happy, has resulted in the birth of six children, whose names thus appear 
in the family register: Ella, Maud, Carrie, Charles, Walter, deceased, and 
Fern. Benjamin J., an elder brother of Mr. Wise, is a well known man in 
Hancock county, having for thirty-five years been a minister of the gospel 
in the United Brethren church. 

GEORGE W. ROLLER. 

The gentleman whose name we here present is a farmer residing in Big 
Lick township on a farm of one hundred and twenty acres. This farm land he 
devotes to general farming. He was born in Big Lick township, August 26, 
1858, the son of Michael and Elizabeth (Swindler) Roller. His life has been 
passed in the township, it being the uneventful one of those who live in the 
country engaged in agricultural pursuits. His whole life and attention have 
been given to that vocation, in which he has been pre-eminently successful. 
Since 1883 he has been residing on his present farm, on which are in opera- 
tion eight producing oil wells. Mr. Roller has always been interested in the 
public life and utilities of the township and has been honored a number of 
times by election as township trustee, an office which he has filled with great 
satisfaction to his constituency. February 17, 1881, Mr. Roller married Miss 
Jennie, the daughter of George and Melissa (Jally) Vickers, and the chil- 
dren by this union are an interesting group, consisting of Harley, born Jan- 



128 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY ' 

uary 15, 1882; Lodema, March 2y, 1884; Otas, March 21, 1887; Clark, Feb- 
uary 10, 1893, and now deceased; and WilHs, July 5, 1896. The mother of 
this family is also a native of the county, born in Cass township, December 
22, 1861. His father, Michael Roller, was a native of the Buckeye state, 
born in Columbiana county, March 3, 1822. His mother, Elizabeth, was 
bom in Jefferson county, Ohio. Michael Roller was a practical farmer, 
whose life in the community was above reproach, and w4iose friends were 
numerous. He was honored with office many times, filling acceptably vari- 
ous positions in the township. His family numbered eight children : Sara, 
William, Mary, Filena, George W., Ida, Henry and Lorena. He died August 
13, 1886, aged sixty-four years, and his wife departed this life May 8, 1902, 
at the age of seventy-seven. The paternal grandparents of our subject were 
William and Charlotte Roller, of Quaker faith, of Democratic affinities and 
of Pennsylvania Dutch descent. They with their eight children came to this 
county in 1834 and located in Big Lick township, where William entered 
a quarter section of land from the government. Their children took up the 
burden of life as they came of age, and have been useful members of society 
in Hancock county and have done their share in making it what it is to-day, 
one of the finest sections of the great state of Ohio. The Vickers family, 
into which Mr. Roller married, was of English extraction and prominent 
people in this county from a very early day. They were Methodists in faith 
and the history of Methodism in Hancock county cannot be written without 
mention of their services. A more extended history of this family will be 
found elsewhere in this volume. 

Mr. George W. Roller is a worthy and honored resident of this county, 
where he is held in high esteem for his many good qualities and excellencies of 
heart and mind. 

BENJAMIN KISTLER, Sr. 

This well known and most industrious citizen is a resident of Marion 
township, where he conducts most successfully one of the best farms in Han- 
cock county. He is a native of Fairfield county, Ohio, where, on January 
30, 181 7, he first opened his eyes to the light. His education was of very 
limited nature because of his environment, and the age in which he was born, 
things entirely beyond his control, but endowed by nature with a strong 
constitution and a will \\hich brought things to pass in his favor, he became 
permanently successful as a farmer. His parents were Benjamin and Elizabeth 
Kistler, one of the oldest and most respected families in Fairfield county, 




MR. AHD MRS. BENJAMIN KISTLER. 
PIONEERS OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 129 

where the former owned and operated a flouring mill and a saw mill. He 
removed to the Buckeye state seven years previous to the date of our sub- 
ject's birth, where he died in 1822. 

The gentleman whose name heads this paragraph is a self-made man in 
the truest sense of the word. It is well to remark that the history of a state 
as well as that of a nation is chiefly the chronicle of the life and deeds of 
those who have conferred honor and dignity on society. The world judges 
the character and deeds of a conimunity by its representative citizens, and 
yields its tributes of admiration and respect for the genius, learning and vir- 
tues of those whose works and actions constitute the record of a state's pros- 
perity and pride; and it is by their character as exemplified in benevolence 
and kindly virtues in the affairs of life, that we are afforded worthy examples 
for emulation and valuable lessons of incentive. To a student of biography, 
there is nothing more interesting than to examine the life history of a self- 
made man, and to detect the elements of character which have enabled him 
to pass on the highway of life many of the companions of his youth, who at 
the outset of their career were more advantageously equipped or endowed. 
The subject of this review has through his own exertions attained an honora- 
ble position among the citizens of Hancock county, and it may be said truth- 
fully that he is the architect of his own fortunes, and one whose success 
amply justifies the application of the somewhat hackeyed, but most express- 
ive title, a self-made man. 

Returning from this digression to the consideration of the biography 
of Mr. Kistler, he removed from Pickavv^ay county in February of 1841, 
and succeeded in accumulating two hundred and forty acres of valuable land, 
on sorne of which he now resides in his old age. His farming has been of a 
general character, and owing to the scientific manner in which he has con- 
ducted it, has been profitable in the extreme. Mr. Kistler is now living a 
retired life, having done wdiat many thoughtful man may well ponder upon, 
by dividing his land among his sons before his death in order to save law- 
yers' fees. December 3, 1840, he was married to Sarah Searfuss, by whom 
he had seven children: David, Henry, Benjamin, Jr., Clarinda J., John and 
William, besides a deceased child. The mother of this family was born in 
Pickaway county, Ohio, in 1819, and is still a woman of robust health and 
excellent spirits. During his lifetime, Mr. Kistler has performed his full 
share of the duties devolving" on township officers, but he is by no means a 
politician. They are both members and active workers in the Lutheran 
church, and have the respect and friendship in their old age of a large circle 
of acquaintances in PTancock and adjoining counties. Our subject's grand- 



I30 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

father, Henry, with two brothers, emigrated from Germany in the seven- 
teenth century and settled in a valley in Pennsylvania, which was called 
Kistler valley, and is known as such to this day. Henry's wife also came 
to this country at the age of sixteen, was married in Kistler valley to Henry, 
and their descendants have all been honest and prosperous and mostly mem- 
bers of the Lutheran church. 

DAVID W. SAUSSER. 

The families of Sausser and Hemry, which subsequently intermarried, 
were among the earliest of the Hancock county pioneers. The first arrivals 
came when most of the land was wild, but little progress made toward im- 
provement of any kind and government itself in a chaotic state. The story 
of how all this was changed in a few decades to the present garden spot need 
not be repeated here, but it is proper to say that the descendants of the fam- 
ilies mentioned above bore their full share of the work in bringing the county 
to the front. Isaac Sausser, who may properly be called the immigrant 
founder came from Pennsylvania during the first quarter of the nineteenth 
century and entered eighty acres of land in Jackson township. Shortly after 
his arrival he was married to Elizabeth Hemry, whose parents had moved 
in some years before from Harrison county, Ohio, where she was born. 
On the homestead thus established this couple went to housekeeping and 
there shared together the joys and sorrows of more than half a century. 
They were members of the Church of Christ and of quiet, unassuming lives, 
devoted to their children and thoughtful in the discharge of all social duties. 
Isaac was a hatter by trade and did considerable work in this line in connec- 
tion with his regular business of farming. Altogether he prospered fairly 
well, and at the end had something to show as the result of his long and indus- 
trious life. He closed his earthly career in 1892, and his faithful companion, 
after surviving him seven years, passed away in 1899. Of their six children 
four are still living and named as follows : John D., Jesse, Sarah and 
David W. 

David W. Sausser, youngest of the surviving children, was born on the 
old homestead in Jackson township, Hancock county, June 25, 1838. As he 
grew up he was trained to farm work, and this was in line with the business 
he has always followed since reaching maturity. His first venture as a land 
owner was made when he bought a tract of forty acres in his native tovs^n- 
ship, but after working this three years he disposed of it in 1874 and pur- 
chased his present holding of seventy-three acres. At the time he took pos- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 131 

session this was virgin soil, wholly unimproved, but Mr. Sausser has brought 
it out greatly. By the necessary fencing and outbuilding, clearing, grubbing 
and road making, but above all by scientific cultivation, such as soil renovation 
and crop rotation, he has made his farm one of the finest of its size in the county. 
In 1865 Mr. Sausser was married to Sarah, daughter of John and Eliza 
Snider, well known citizens of Amanda township, and of their ten children 
the following named nine are living: Zella, Etta, Viola, Abbie, Louie, J. F., 
W. E., B. L. and Dail. The family are members of the United Brethren 
church, and Mr. Sausser's connection with public affairs has been confined to 
holding the office of constable for three years, justice of the peace the same 
length of time and assessor one term. He is also a member of the Grand 
Army of the Republic, which honor he earned by service in Company A, 
Forty-seventh Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, during the Civil war. He 
went through the great Georgia campaign in 1864, assisted in the capture of 
Fort McAlister and received an honorable discharge at the close of hos- 
tilities. 

HERMON T. SHULL. 

The Shull family have been connected with Hancock county affairs since 
1846, and have done their full share toward helping along the general de- 
velopment. Almost without exception the men have been farmers for gen- 
erations back and they have ranked \vith the industrious and progressive ele- 
ment of the agricultural class. They have figured also in the educational and 
other public interests of their township and in these as well as other matters 
have always been regarded as substantial and reliable citizens. Benjamin 
Shull, a native of Fairfield county, was the founder of the Hancock county 
branch of his family name. He married Christena Kitsmiller, of Franklin 
county, and removed in 1846 to Hancock county, where they established a 
homestead in what is now Amanda township. Eighty acres of virgin soil 
were purchased, the usual log cabin erected and the hard work of clearing 
begun without further delay. In due time this became a fertile farm and the 
hospitable home where all the rising generation of Shulls were reared and 
eventually sent out into the world to make their own living. They had the 
advantage of excellent parents, their father being an estimable man, who took 
much interest in educational matters and rose to a position of influence in 
his township. He retired from active business in 1887, lost his wife by death 
in 1892 and ended his own earthly career September 15, 1902, on his eighty- 
seventh birthday. This excellent couple were of religious inclinations and 
for many years zealous members of the United Brethren church, in which 



132 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

the father served as class leader and trustee. They reared a family of six 
children, whose names are thus recorded in the family register : John H., 
Mary A., William C, Harmon T., Sylvanus and Isaac L. 

Harmon T. Shull, who comes third in this list, was born on his father's 
farm, in Amanda township, Hancock county, Ohio, August 6, 1849, ^^'^'^ 
grew to maturity on the family homestead. He had the benefit of a good 
education, received in the schools of the district and those of Mount Blanch- 
ard and Findlay. His first business venture was in the school room, and he 
taught for several years both before and after his marriage. This, however, 
was only intended as a kind of preparatory discipline, as it was always his 
intention to follow the hereditary vocation of farming, and this he entered 
upon in earnest when about twenty-five years old. His first purchase of 
real estate was made in 1874, and consisted of fifty-five acres, which he culti- 
vated six years and then purchased another tract of seventy-eight acres. This 
also was disposed of, in 1882, when Mr. Shull bought his present homestead 
in Amanda township, consisting of one hundred and seventy-two acres. Since 
settling here he has greatly improved the place by building, repairing and sci- 
entific methods of cultivation. He does not attempt anything "fancy," but 
contents himself with general farming and the breeding of standard stock 
for the market, by which plan he has steadily forged ahead and become both a 
progressive and prosperous fanner. 

In 1870 Mr. Shull was united in marriage with Miss Mary E., daugh- 
ter of John and Eliza Snider, of Amanda township, and of their four chil- 
dren the only ones living are : Lorin V. and Ray G. The family are mem- 
bers of the United Brethren church and the political predilections of Mr. 
Shull are with the Republican party. He has held the ofiice of school director, 
and is at present serving as trustee of the township. 

JOHN W. SWAB. 

John W. Swab, of Marion township, is a gentleman worthy of mention 
in a work which purports, as does this one, to record the principal points in the 
biographical records of the prominent citizens of Hancock county. He is 
the proprietor of what is known as the East Findlay Dairy Farm, which 
is situated on Blanchard's river, three miles east of Findlay as the crow flies. 
This farm contains one hundred and forty-three acres of possibly the most 
productive land in Hancock county, being excellently w^atered by the Blanch- 
ard river, and having been personally conducted by a gentleman of the agri- 
cultural taste and ability of Mr. Swab, its value has been greatly increased. 




^/n/7/7^a^ ^ ^yi4^^0L''(^-- 




a '}r\J.^,r^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 133 

Mr. Swab is an extensive dairyman and a breeder of fancy stock, his herd 
at the present time consisting of sixty-eight head. About half of these are 
the Dutch Belted breed, which is prolific as well as rich in quality. His barns 
are commodious and of the most modern construction, and he has in his 
buildings every machine and device of modern construction that is known 
to the dairy business. The breed of cattle known as the Belted Breed are 
superior animals and always brings top market prices. They combine beauty 
of form and utility of product in the highest degree. In constitution they 
are exceedingly strong and hearty, their beef is tender and easy to accumulate, 
and their disposition mild. Their milk is superior in flow and quality, all 
things considered, to any other breed of cattle. These superior qualities 
awarded them the highest prize at the Columbian Exposition in 1893. ^^'*- 
Swab handles daily on an average from thirty-nine cows about six hundred 
pounds of milk. He is not only a practical dairyman, but a most scientific 
farmer. Everything about his premises evidences the touch of this master 
hand. His home is heated and lighted free from the natural gas flowing from 
his own farm, on which there are three gas wells. 

Mr. Swab was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1853, and 
when a lad of but ten years removed with his parents to Ohio, where he has 
spent the subsequent part of his life. His education was of the variety and 
extent that could be secured in the country school, but being of an inquiring 
and docile disposition he has all along during life supplemented this by a 
practical education, without which the best school education is at fault. He 
began his married life in 1879, when he chose Emma E. Walter to preside 
over his home. To this happy union there have been three children born : 
Nettie, Frank and Julia. The parents of Mr. Swab were Solomon and 
Catherine (Galloway) Swab, both of whom were natives of the Keystone 
state, and who removed from Washington county in that state to Ohio in 
1863. Solomon Swab has been a man of very great activity and is still well 
preserved at the age of eighty-seven years. In religious faith, Mr. Sw^ab is 
a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and enters into all the public 
life of his immediate part of the county with willingness and zest. Our 
subject's grandfather crossed the Rhine in the eighteenth century from Hol- 
land and located in Pennsylvania. 

Emma E. Walter was the daughter of David and Amanda Walter, both 
born in Pennsylvania. The former, who has been a successful farmer, now 
resides with his children at the age of eighty-one. The mother, Amanda, 
died in 1900 at the age of sixty-eight. Her parents, Henry and Mary Bear, 
were of old Virginia stock. 



134 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

SOLOMON N. ROBERTS. 

This name has long been a famihar one in Hancock county, and its 
representatives, commencing in pioneer days, have at every period since their 
settlement been influential in connection with the general development. David 
and Fannie Roberts, whose births occurred in Fairfield county, Ohio, about 
the closing of the first decade of the nineteenth century, came shortly after 
their marriage to Hancock county, where they located on forty acres of land 
in Big Lick township. The warrant for this land was signed by no less a 
person than General Andrew Jackson, better known as "Old Hickoiy," who 
was then serving his second term as President. As times prospered with the 
newcomers they saved money and eventually added to their original little 
farm one hundred and twenty acres more. David Roberts, besides being a 
good farmer, was a pious Christian and a man of most exemplary life. He 
was a leading elder and trustee of the Christian Union church and donated 
the land on which the local building of that denomination was constructed. 
His influence for good in his community was great and his active benevolence, 
constantly exerted where it would do the most good, made David Roberts a 
useful and indeed a model citizen. A good neighbor, a progressive farmer 
and a friend of every worthy cause, he enjoyed and well deserved an esteem 
and consideration which is seldom bestowed upon a private citizen. The long 
and blameless life of this worthy man terminated in 1887, when he was sev- 
enty-seven years old, he being born in 1810. By two marriages Mr. Roberts 
had twelve children, nine by the first and three by the second, of whom eleven 
grew to maturity, seven are still living, and four of these are residents of 
Hancock county. David Roberts's second wife was Mary (Plummer) Rick- 
ets, a widow, and only one of her children survives. David J. died in Febru- 
ary, .1890. Our subject's mother died when he was four years old, and six of 
her children survive her. 

Solomon N. Roberts, the subject of this sketch, was the son of David 
and Fannie Roberts, and his birth occurred in Hancock county, Ohio, April 
14, 1852. He was brought up on the paternal homestead in Big Lick town- 
ship and went through the usual experiences of farmers' boys, attending school 
in winter and working on the farm in summer. He inherited some land from 
the estate of his father after the latter's death and to this he added one hun- 
dred acres, which constitute his present holdings in Big Lick township. His 
whole life has been devoted to agricultural pursuits and his farm, consisting 
now of one hundred and thirty acres, has been well cultivated. As a general 
all-around farmer he ranks among the first in his community, his ideas being 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 135 

progressive and his methods up-to-date. Personahy he is quite popular with 
his feHow citizens, who elected him township assessor, and like his father 
his life has been moral and upright. April 10, 1873, Mr. Robert was united 
in marriage with Miss Susan D. Swihart, member of one of the old and 
strongly established families of the county. Her parents, Aaron and Chris- 
tina D. Swihart, came to Hancock when it was still little more than a primi- 
tive wilderness, and they bore their full share of the burdens incident to 
pioneer life. Aaron Swihart, who died in August, 1893, aged seventy-seven 
years, was a man of greath worth and most excellent character, whose vigor- 
ous mind and enterprising disposition overcame all difficulties and enabled 
him to accumulate a fine body of land, ornamented with a handsome brick 
residence, in which his widow still resides. The latter was born in Wurtem- 
berg, Germany, and was one year old when brought to this country. The 
union of Solomon N. and Susan (Swihart) Roberts proved congenial and 
fruitful, and eleven of their thirteen children are still living, named as fol- 
lows in order of birth: Rosetta M., born September 22, 1876; Elma L., born 
August 26, 1878; Lucy A., born January 19, 1880; David J., born May 2, 
1882; Alton D., born April i, 1884; Bertha L., born March 13, 1886; Cora 
D., born June 28, 1887; Edna L., born January 12, 1890; Aaron J., born May 
10, 1892; Nellie S., born May 13, 1896; and Lola D., born September 16, 
1898. The oldest child, Christina L., was born May 21, 1875, and died Sep- 
tember 19, 1875. Charles C, the eleventh child, was born June 25, 1894, and 
died April 22, 1897. Mrs. Roberts, who was born on her father's farm in 
Big Lick township, March 20, 1856, has proved a most affectionate companion 
as well as wise adviser of her husband and is fairly idolized by her children. 
They are strict members of the Christian Union church, in which Mr. Rob- 
erts has held the position of first elder and is trustee at the present time. 
George Swihart, the grandfather of Mrs. Roberts, who was a farmer and 
blacksmith, died at an advanced age. 

ANDREW HARTMAN. 

Among the contributions from Pennsylvania to the citizenship of east- 
ern Ohio was the family of Hartmans, who have done their full share since 
arriving in Hancock county as members of the business community. Philip 
Hartman was bom in Pennsylvania in the first half of the nineteenth cen- 
tury and came to Hancock county, Ohio, about the year 1842. He located 
on a farm in Jackson township and spent the remainder of his life in the 
peaceful pursuits of agriculture and gaining the esteem of all his neighbors 



136 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

by the probity of his character and honesty of his deahngs. At the time 
of his death, which occurred July zy, 1883, he was recognized as one of the 
successful farmers and most blameless citizens of his community. He mar- 
ried Elizabeth, daughter of Moses and Merry A. Elsea, the former of whom 
was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, and moved to Eagle township in 1835, 
where he spent his life as a farmer. 

Andrew Hartman, son of Philip, was born on his father's farm in Jack- 
son township, Hancock county, Ohio, April 19, 1869, and grew to maturity 
in the locality of his nativity. He worked in the country for some years 
after becoming of age, removed to Findlay, October 11, 1898, clerked in a gro- 
cery store for six months, and then bought a grocery of his own, with which 
business he has made a good success. Mr. Hartman is one of the youngest 
business men of the city, and though only there a short time has already shown 
an aptitude that bids fair to place him among the leading merchants. 

January 26, 1893, Mr. Hartman was married in Hancock county to Miss 
Mary McClellan, by whom he has three children: Cleo May, born May i, 
1895; Hazel Lavern, born January 29, 1897; 3.nd Everett McClellan, born 
September 19, 1898. Mrs. Mary A. Hartman was born November 6, 1873, 
and is a daughter of Thomas and Sophia McClellan, of Eagle township, 
Hancock county. Mr. Hartman is a member of the Lutheran church and is 
a welcome guest in the best social circles of Findlay. 

WILLIAM P. WISELY. 

The above mentioned, who is one of Findlay's most popular young men, 
belongs to a family which has been identified with Hancock county from its 
earliest history. In fact his grandfather was at the very beginning of things 
in the county, being one of the first live men who made their appearance in its 
limits. This was as far back as 1831, and Allen Wisely helped survey the 
county when it was still in its state of primeval wilderness. With wise fore- 
tliought, however, he foresaw that there was a future for Hancock county 
and invested in a tract of land of considerable extent, which he spent his 
subsequent life in cultivating. He achieved remarkable success in his call- 
ing, and at the time of his death in 1888, at the age of eighty years, was pos- 
sessed of a fine estate of three thousand acres of land. Allen Wisely married 
Amelia Bright, and of his eight children those now^ living are Mrs. Sarah 
Davis, Mrs. America Click, Loraine and Daniel S. Wisely, all of whom have 
been successful in life and are now in comfortable circumstances. The eldest 
of the eight children was William P. Wisely, who followed in his father's 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 137 

footsteps as a successful farmer, and when he died, twenty-five years ago, at 
the comparatively early age of fifty-one years, owned one of the handsomest 
landed estates in the county. He was a member of the United Brethren 
church, a man of upright life and strict integrity in business dealings and in 
a quiet way exercised considerable influence in his community. He mar- 
ried, Elizabeth Balton, and to this union we are indebted for the bright young 
man whose career and present status constitute the basis of this brief biog- 
raphy. 

William P. Wisely, namesake, as well as worthy successor of his hon- 
ored father, was born at Findlay, Ohio, September 5, 1873. He had the 
benefit of a good education at the college in his native city, from which he was 
sent forth with a diploma in the class of 1891. Though still under legal age 
he lost no time in entering business, and in connection with his brother, 
opened the ice and coal enterprise which still occupies his attention, and in 
the prosecution of which he has been quite successful. But it is not simply 
by his energetic management of the People's Ice & Coal Company that Mr. 
Wisely is known to the public of Findlay and the county of which it is the 
capital. He has figured actively in various capacities calculated to attract 
attention, and though still less than thirty years old is quite prominent in 
politics and recognized as one of the leaders of his party. Already he has 
served two years in the city council from the first ward of Findlay, and in 
1900 was honored by the Democratic party as its candidate for the state 
legislature from Hancock county. Though the district is Republican and it 
was an "off year" for the Democrats, Mr. Wisely polled the full vote of his 
organization and came out of the contest with credit. On the social side of 
life and in connection with the prominent fraternities, Mr. Wisely displays 
the same suavity and geniality of address that have given him popularity 
in politics and business. For one of his age he has achieved unusual promi- 
nence in Masonry, having reached the thirty-second degree in that ancient 
order, being a member of Findlay Commandery, No. 49, the Lake Erie Con- 
sistory in Cleveland, and the blue lodge at Findlay. In addition to this he is 
conspicuous in the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and altogether 
no young man in Findlay does his part more fully than Mr. Wisely in con- 
nection with the city's social activities. 

On the 4th of June, 1895, Mr. Wisely led to the matrimonial altar Miss 
Bessie B. McLeod, and received the congratulations of many friends on his 
wise selection, as this young lady was not only of attractive personality, but 
a member of one of the standard families of the community. Her father. 
Dr. Joseph R. McLeod, who is mentioned elsewhere in this volume, is one 



138 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

of the oldest and best known physicians in the county, as well as a man of 
influence in other departments of life aside from the professional. By his 
union with Miss McLeod, Mr. Wisely has three bright children : Frank, 
the eldest, was born May 21, 1897; Helen E., September 19, 1900; and Jo- 
seph R., the baby of the family, commenced life's journey November 16, 
1901. 

ISAAC HERSHEY. 

A stormy, hard-working and adventurous life has been that of the subject 
of this sketch, whose name is given above. The first part of it was that of 
an orphan boy, compelled at a tender age to delve and dig for the bare means 
of subsistence. Later it was a war career, not only involving the usual dan- 
gers of fighting, but attended by a wound so deadly and desperate that none 
thought survival possible. But our subject fought bravely through it all and 
is not only here to tell the tale, but has been able to do much hard work at 
various callings and has something to show for his industiy. 

The Hersheys were Pennsylvanians, the grandfather of our subject be- 
ing Christian Hershey, who lived and died in the Keystone state. His son, 
Benjamin Hershey, w^as born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 18 10, and 
removed to Hancock county, Ohio, where he died December 28, 1857. He 
married Sarah Tritch, by whom he had seven children, the surviving four 
being: Isaac; Henry; Harriet, wife of Benjamin Runyon, and William. 
Isaac Hershey, the eldest of these children, was born October 10, 1845, i^ 
what is now a part of Findlay, Ohio, and there received a little education in his 
early childhood. His father died when he was twelve years old, and after 
that, for some years, it was a hard struggle for the boy. He was compelled 
to work at anything he could get to do, his jobs being on farms, in lime- 
kilns, doing chores and other juvenile employments as exacting as they were 
ill paid. So matters went along until the fall of 1863, when, in his eighteenth 
year, young Hershey determined to enter the army. He enlisted as a private 
in Company A, Twenty-first Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which 
command he served until disabled in the following year. His regiment was 
with Sherman during the spring and summer of 1864 in his onward march 
to Atlanta. Young Hershey had fighting enough to do to satisfy the military 
ambition of any boy, but he proved equal to the emergency and bore himself well 
at every critical moment. The principal battles in which he was engaged 
were those at Ringgold, Buzzard's Roost, Rocky Face Gap, Resaca, Kenne- 
saw Mountain, and Vining Station, all in Georgia. He was shot in the left 
wrist at Kennesaw Mountain, but did not leave the field in consequence of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY i39 

this injury. At Vining Station, however, he was so dangerously wounded 
that for a long time afterward no hopes were entertained of his recovery. 
The ball entered the right arm just below the shoulder and passed entirely 
through his body, coming out on the left side. He was struck down July 9, 
1864, and all during the rest of that day and night and until the following 
afternoon he lay on the field of battle, weltering in his blood, unsought and 
uncared for. When finally found, it was discovered that under the effects of 
the hot weather and scorching July sun, the wound had generated maggots. 
Though the physicians despaired of saving him, he was sent to the hospital 
at Marietta, Georgia, later to Nashville, and from there to Louisville, Ken- 
tucky. Though by one of those unaccountable causes, which occasionally 
save desperately stricken soldiers, Mr. Hershey had escaped one great danger, 
his troubles w^ere by no means ended. At Louisville he was transferred to 
the Reserve Corps and sent to Jackson, Michigan, where the alarming dis- 
covery was made that he had the smallpox, and this necessitated his confine- 
ment at the pest-house. He recovered from this dangerous disease also and 
later served on garrison duty at various places until his discharge, which oc- 
curred August 27, 1866, at Fort Mackinac, Michigan. 

After receiving his discharge Mr. Hershey returned to Findlay, Ohio, 
and shortly afterward engaged in the business of farming, lime-burning and 
stone-quarrying. In 1882 he abandoned the two lines first mentioned, and 
confined his work entirely to stone-quarrying, and this has constituted his 
employment up to the present time. Mr. Hershey has never married, but 
pleads guilty to the charge of being an "old bachelor," though like most of 
that class, he is of jovial disposition, fond of company, and by no means 
averse to the society of ladies. He is a member of the United Brethren church, 
and Republican in politics, but has never belonged to any secret society. 

JOSEPH CRAMER. 

Joseph Cramer is a farmer located in Liberty township, Hancock county, 
Ohio, and devotes his valuable farm of one hundred and twenty acres to 
general farming. His excellent methods, combined with his practical knowl- 
edge, have resulted in a farm which is generally regarded as one of the best in 
the township. 

The birth of Mr. Cramer occurred in Liberty township, on April 16, 1855, 
and there he was reared and educated. His parents were Andrew and Chris- 
tina (Allen) Cramer, pioneers in Hancock county, the former of whom is 
deceased, and the latter a resident of Liberty township. 



I40 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

With the exception of twelve years spent in Wood county, Ohio, our 
subject has been identified all his life with the interests of Hancock county. 
From his earliest business life he has been connected with agricultural pur- 
suits, and he has followed methods which have resulted in excellent returns. 

On March i6, 1876, Mr. Cramer was married to Miss Elizabeth S., 
a daughter of William and Sarah Crossley, the former of whom was born 
in 1820 and the latter in 1825. They were married in 1842 and their children 
were : Catherine, Polly, Lydia, Jacob, Elizabeth' S. and Joshua. The birth 
of Mrs. Cramer occurred January 22, 1859, and she died December 16, 1895. 
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Cramer were: Metta, who was bom in 1876 
and married A. Johnson; Sarah, who was born in 1877 and married J. 
Beckman; Fannie, who was born in 1879 and married F. St. Clair; Pearl, who 
was born in 1882 and married Ora Laudenback August 15, 1902; Eva, born 
in 1887; Hermon, born in 1889; Franklin, born in 1892; and William Ray, 
born in 1894. In politics Mr. Cramer is a Democrat. 

JOHN PETERMAN. 

Among the brave men who devoted the opening years of their man- 
hood to the defense of our country during the dark days of the Civil war 
was John Peterman, now a prominent farmer of Jackson township, Han- 
cock county, Ohio. There he was born on the i6th of May, 1840, a son of 
John and Alary Ann (Jones) Peterman, who were natives of Pennsylvania 
and Maryland, respectively. During the childhood of Mrs. Peterman her 
father left home never to be heard of, again and as a young girl she came 
to Ohio, where she was first married at the age of sixteen years. Later she 
became the wife of John Peterman, Sr., their marriage being celebrated in 
Holmes county, Ohio. He had come from Pennsylvania when a young man 
and entered the employ of his brother, James Peterman, a contractor in build- 
ing canal locks, and for him he worked as a stone mason. About 1834 he 
took vp his residence in Hancock county, where he purchased one hundred 
and sixty acres of land, on which a small clearing had been made and a cabin 
erected thereon, paying for the same five hundred dollars, though govern- 
ment land could have been entered all around him. That farm is now the 
property of William Oman and adjoins the property of Asa Ellis. There 
the father of our subject continued to make his home until his death, which 
occurred in August, 1863, wlien he was fifty-six years of age. He had cleared 
one hundred acres of his land and placed it under cultivation and erected 
thereon the commodious residence which is still standing, it being built when 




dueM 



(^^^^ O- (P^ott^L^t^yuxn^ 




OfK.fcriU-L 10^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 141 

our subject was a lad of thirteen years. On coming to the county the father 
found the woods full of wild game and lie killed a large number of deer, 
many of which were shot from his own doorway. The largest ever killed 
in that locality was shot in that way. During the first year of his residence 
here Mr. Peterman killed twenty-three and that without any effort at hunt- 
ing. Although he took an active part in politics as a supporter of the Demo- 
cratic party, he would never accept office. His wife survived him for thirty- 
one years, dying in November, 1894, at the ripe old age of eighty-six years. 

In the family of this worthy couple were ten children who reached years 
years of maturity, namely : James, a resident of Jackson township ; Sarah, 
who married Fred Marcjuet and died at the age of sixty-five "years; William, 
who died at the age of forty-four; John, Jr., of this review; Mary Jane, wife 
of Jacob Bishop ; Joseph, who became a soldier of the Civil war and was 
killed by guerrillas near Peach Tree Creek while on a foraging expedition ; 
Harriet, who married Jacob Greno and died twenty-four years ago ; No- 
poleon Bonaparte, who served in the heavy artillery during the war and is 
now living in this state; Nancy, who married Bolser Hammond and died 
young ; and Martha, who wedded Eli McClelland and died young. 

During his minority the subject of this sketch remained under the par- 
ental roof but when the country became involved in Civil war he could no 
longer be content to remain at home and at the first call for seventy-five 
thousand men to aid in suppressing the rebellion, he enlisted in April, 1861, 
for three months, as a member of Company F, Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer 
Infantry. With his command he was first sent to Gallipolis, later did guard 
duty on the Ohio river, and subsequently went to Charleston, West Virginia, 
to drive General Wise out. After four months and two weeks in the service, 
Mr. Peterman was mustered out, but a week later he re-enlisted for three 
years in Company C, First Ohio Cavalry, under command of Captain N. D. 
Menken, being one of the first to join the regiment, which was assigned to the 
army of the Potomac. As orderly he was placed on the staff of General 
Shields and served as orderly guard when that general was in command 
of the army in the valley of Virginia. He aided in the defense of the city of 
Washington until General Pope took command, and later was special or- 
derly for General Roberts, who was chief of Pope's staff. 

He took part in the battle of Cedar Mountain and in all of the engage- 
ments until the second battle of Bull Run. At Catlett Station Pope's head- 
quarters' train was captured, and at the same time Mr. Peterman was taken 
prisoner while carrying an order for General Roberts, but a few minutes 
later saw a chance to escape, though he had to leave behind him his horse and 



142 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

revolver. He remained with the headquarters' train until Ihe second battle 
of Bull Run and during that fight carried orders for General Pope, having 
volunteered in place of another orderly. After the engagement he went to 
V/ashington, D. C, and in the defense of the city he remained there as or- 
derly under General Hayes. He was also with that commander during the 
Gettysburg campaign and was in the thickest of the fight near the cemetery. 
Soon afterward he had his leg broken and when able to travel was sent to 
rejoin his regiment, which had been in Tennessee and Kentucky all this time, 
only Companies A and C being in Virginia. Up to this time Mr. Peterman 
had never been with his regiment at all, as these two companies had been sent 
to the front before his regiment was organized. He joined his command at 
Nashville, Tennessee, and was there discharged on the expiration of his term 
of enlistment. Although he was in twenty-three battles, besides numerous 
skirmishes, and had his clothes pierced by bullets many times, he was for- 
tunately never wounded, though he got a sliver in his cheek from a cannon 
ball striking the timbers of a bridge over which he was stationed. Having a 
desire to be in action all of the time he served mainly on special orderly duty 
and was armed with sabre and revolver. He captured several prisoners him- 
self, was a brave and fearless soldier, and was faithful in the discharge of any 
trust committed to his care. He is now an honored member of Stoker Post, 
G. A. R., of Findlay. 

On leaving the army Mr. Peterman resumed the more quiet duties of 
farm life, taking charge of the old homestead, as his father had died while 
he was at the front. Wlien the place was sold he bought eighty acres, which 
he traded in 1873 for his present farm in Jackson township, which had been 
entered by Dr. Barrett Needles and which cost our subject eleven thousand 
five hundred and fifty dollars, going twenty-five hundred dollars in debt for 
the same. It comprises two hundred and twenty acres, about forty-five acres 
of which Mr. Peterman himself has cleared, and one hundred and ninety 
acres of the tract is now under a high state of cultivation and well improved. 
He has paid out about thi^ee thousand dollars for tiling and draining and the 
land is now in first-class condition, being very rich and productive. In con- 
nection with general farming he has engaged in the feeding of stock for 
some years but is not a shipper, selling what lie fattens for market to the 
butchers of Findlay. Upon his home place he has erected a good barn and 
remodeled the residence so that he now has one of the best improved farms 
in the township, and it is pleasantly located seven and a half miles southeast 
of Findlay. He also owns a small farm nearer the city which is devoted to 
gardening, and upon which he has erected a couple of residences. Besides 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL LIISTORY 143 

this property he has an eighty acre tract of gas and oil land which is now- 
being developed, and he is numbered among the prosperous and substantial 
citizens of his community. 

On the nth of June, 1S68, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Peter- 
man and Miss Mary A. ]\[ains, a daughter of Joel and Elizabeth (Groves) 
Mains, of Jackson township. She was born in Huntington, Indiana, and 
was a young lady on coming to Hancock county about four or five years 
prior to her marriage. Her father, who was a chairmaker by trade, was a 
native of Fairfield county, Ohio, and a son of Jacob Mains, who came to 
Findlay about forty-five years ago and here operated a woolen mill and card- 
ing machine. After their marriage in Fairfield county Mrs. Peterman's 
parents removed to Huntington, Indiana, and from there came to Hancock 
county, Ohio, locating on a farm in Jackson township. ]\Ir. Mains did not, 
however, engage in agricultural pursuits, but worked at his trade in Findlay. 
He died in November, 1867. His widow subsequently made her home with 
Mrs. Peterman for five years. The children born to our subject and his 
wife are George Anson, Mary E., Nancy J., Thomas L., Oscar E., Blaine, 
Gertrude, Bertie L., John Sherman and Maudie May. 

Mr. Peterman cast his first presidental ballot for Stephen A. Douglas, 
the Democratic candidate, but since that time has always supported the Re- 
publican party and has attended many of its conventions, taking an active in- 
terest in political affairs. Although his township is Democratic he has been 
elected to the offices of supervisor and trustee, which fact plainly indicates 
the confidence reposed in him as well as his personal popularity. Socially 
he is a member of the Odd Fellows lodge at Mount Blanchard, and both 
he and his wife are members of the Rebecca branch of that order. They 
are well and favorably known, and are held in the highest esteem in the com- 
munity where they reside. 

ISAAC C. SNIDER. 

Elsewhere in a sketch devoted to William F. Snider considerable space 
was devoted to the family generally, but especially to the pioneer parents of 
the subject. We are now to deal with a younger brother of William F., and 
it will hardly be necessary to repeat the particulars previously given concern- 
ing the founders of his family in Hancock county. John and Elizabeth 
(Treece) Snider, who were married in Hancock county about 1836, went to 
farming on a small place bought by the husband about that time, but later con- 
siderably increased. Among their children was Isaac C. Snider, whose birth 



144 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

occurred on this farm in Amanda township, Hancock county, September 29, 
1856. His education was obtained in his native township and incUided two 
terms at the Mount Blanchard high school. Like his ancestry for generations 
he chose farming for his hfe work and evidently selected well, as he has not 
only exhibited a remarkable aptitude for this noble calling, but has achieved 
in its pursuit a distinct and unusual success. In 1878 he made his first invest- 
ment in real estate, consisting of a tract of sixty acres of farm land, and this 
was increased ten years later by an additional purchase of forty-six acres. 
These constitute the home farm where he now resides, and it is on these one 
hundred and six acres of land that he has achieved such notable results as a 
stock-raiser. He keeps the best grades in all lines, but makes a specialty of 
Delaine sheep, of which he has one hundred and twenty head, and twenty 
head of standard register. This breed of sheep furnish an unusually valuable- 
fleece, used principally in the manufacture of the finest grades of tweed cloth, 
it is a pleasure to look over Mr. Snider's place, neatly improved as it is with 
convenient buildings and animated by herds of fat swine and sleek cattle, ready 
for the market. Besides stock Mr. Snider's farm is famous for fruit of all 
kinds suitable to that latitude and its prolific crops of fine apples, peaches and 
smaller varieties have made it known far and wide. In fact his enterprise, 
"go-aheadativeness" and progressive methods have given Mr. Snider high 
standing among Hancock county's agriculturists, and he receives as well as de- 
serves the name of a model farmer. 

In 1878 Mr. Snider was united in marriage with Miss Laura, daughter 
of David and Rosilla Alspacgh, and a native of Wyandot county, by whom 
he has four children : Ulta, wife of Frank Sampson, of Delaware town- 
ship; Edgar F. ; Lulu; and Metta. The family are members of the United 
Brethren church, of which Mr. Snider is district steward. He cares nothing 
for office, but was once elected justice of the peace. His mind is centered 
entirely on farming affairs, in which he has achieved such creditable results, 
and as an. aid to his noble calling he organized the Farmers' Mutual Fire 
Insurance Company, which though only got under way in 1898 is already in a 
flourishing condition. 

NOAH LEE. 

Noah Lee, who owns a fine farm in Jackson township, was born in 
Amanda township. Flancock county, August 15, 1845, ^^^^1 is a son of Rich- 
ard and Lydia (Wyant) Lee, both of whom were born and reared in Fairfield 
county, this state. The paternal grandparents were Zebulon and Margaret 




oJtb^ c/^ ^%:^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 145 

Lee, wliose birth occurred on the banks of the Susquehanna river, the former 
born May 16, 1758, the latter September 9, 1770. The Lee family is of Eng- 
lish lineage and was established in America in colonial days. When the 
colonies attempted to throw off the yoke of British oppression the 
grandfather joined the army which achieved the independence of the nation. 
He served as a mail carrier and as a spy and experienced the hardships of the 
memorable winter at Valley Forge. After peace had been declared and the 
republic established he brought his family to Ohio, settling in Fairfield coun- 
ty at an early day. When his son Richard came to Hancock county he came 
with him and spent his last years in Amanda township, passing away when 
our subject was about seven or eight years of age. He had been crippled 
while in the Revolutionary service, but he survived until ninety-four years 
of age. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Margaret Courtright, sur- 
vived him for more than thirty years, and was ninety-three years of age 
when called to her final rest. Their children were Rachel, Noah, Daniel, 
John, Richard and Stephen. Stephen Lee, born February 15, 1813, also 
resided in Amanda township. 

Richard Lee, the father of our subject, was reared in Fairfield county, 
and in 1830 came to Hancock county and entered a tract of land, upon which 
he located in the spring of the following year. He took up his abode in the 
midst of the wilderness, for there were no roads leading into the depths of 
the forest, and he devoted his energies to opening up a farm. He became 
the owner of several hundred acres of land, including two hundred and forty 
acres in the home place, and he gave to each of his children a farm. He died 
of lung fever, in 1856, at the age of forty-eight years, and was buried in the 
Lee church cemetery. His wife survived him a quarter of a century, passing 
away in 1881, at the age of seventy-two years. In their family were the 
following: Zebulon P., who is living in Weston, Ohio; John W., who died 
at the age of thirty-three years ; Caroline, the wife of Daniel Gilbert, of Van 
Lue, Ohio ; Francis Marion, who is living retired in Findlay ; David, who 
died when past the age of sixty years ; Stephen, a resident of Amanda town- 
ship ; Jason, who is probably in Oklahoma : and Noah. The death of David, 
the fourth son, occurred in a rather tragic manner. He was tolling the bell 
for a funeral, when the rope broke and he went to the top of the belfry. The 
board on which he was standing slipped, he fell eight feet, and several hours 
•later was found dead. This took place in the Lee church in Amanda town- 
ship, where he had tolled the bell for twenty-five years. 

LIpon the old home farm the boyhood days of our subject were passed. 
His father died when he was nine years of age and his mother afterward 



146 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

married Jacob F. Houck, of Houcktown. They removed to the farm upon 
which our subject now resides. Mr. Houck had also been married previous- 
ly. He came from Baltimore county, Maryland, and settled on this farm. 
He died in March, 1881, from injuries received while in a saw-mill, and 
the mother of our subject passed away in December of the same year. 

Noah Lee was thirteen years of age when he went to the Houck farm. 
He was the youngest and only child left with his mother at- that time and 
lie remained with lier until his marriage, in 1866, a month before he attained 
his majority. He wedded Mary E. Sampson, a daughter of Nicholas and 
Eliza Sampson. She lived upon an adjoining farm and was twenty years 
of age at the time of their marriage. Mr. Lee rented the Houck farm for 
six or seven years and iinally purchased the property, becoming owner of 
one hundred and forty-six acres. A corner, covering fifteen acres had previ- 
ously been sold and the village of Houcktown established thereon. Mr. Lee 
added to his place until it now contains two hundred and sixty acres of val- 
uable land, upon which he has erected a set of excellent farm buildings. He 
has two hundred and twenty acres of the place under a- high state of cultivation 
and the farm is as good as any in the locality, being well tiled and improved 
with all modern equipments. He has always carried on general farming, 
generally feeding his own stock, and his attention being closely given to his 
agricultural pursuits, he has prospered as the years have passed. 

In 1881 Mr. Lee was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who died 
on the 20th of August of that year and his mother died in the 
following December. Seven children were born unto our subject and 
his wife, five of whom are living. Ora E. is the wife of Mack B. Smith, of 
Jackson township; C. A., who resides on the farm, married Lura Bell and 
she died leaving one child, Edith Gertrude, who has since resided with her 
grandparents; Rozilla is the wife of Harry Croft, of Fort Wayne, Lidiana; 
Richard N. is a practicing physician of Mount Blanchard, Ohio; Jesse is 
still on the home farm; and two of the children died in infancy. On the 
15th of April, 1883, Mr. Lee was united in marriage to Mrs. Belle Parker, 
the widow of W. F. Parker, who was a harnessmaker of Van Lue, Ohio. 
Her parents were Frederick and Catherine (Funk) Shuler, and she was 
born in Pennsylvania, coming to Amanda township, Hancock county, when 
nine years of age, while at the age of twenty she gave her hand in marriage 
to Mr. Parker, by whom she had one child, Harry J. Parker, who now as- 
sists in operating the Lee farm, being a partner of Jesse Lee in the enterprise. 
No children were born of the second marriage, but Edith Gertrude, wdiose 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 147 

mother was buried the day she was two weeks old, has since hved with them 
as their own child. 

Mr. and Mrs. Lee hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, 
in which he has served as steward, class leader and as Sunday-school super- 
intendent for a quarter of a century. He is a Democrat in his political affil- 
iations. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Mount 
Blanchard and both he and his wife are connected with the Rebekah degree. 
Well known in the county, their friends are many and will receive with pleas- 
ure this record of their lives. 

WILLIAM FOGLER. 

This gentleman, who owns a fine farm in Big Lick township, belongs 
to the younger generation of Hancock county's agriculturists, and is re- 
garded as one of the county's representative citizens. He is a son of Christian 
and Mary A. (Wagner) Fogler, both of whom were natives of Ohio and spent 
their whole lives in the borders of this state. In 1863 Christian Fogler re- 
moved with his family to Hancock county, where he located on two hundred 
and forty acres of land, which he had purchased in Liberty township. He 
lived there, however, but a short time, when he disposed of his estate and 
purchased a small farm of eighty acres. This, too, he disposed of after three 
years, and his next purchase was a farm of two hundred and twenty-five 
acres in Jackson township. On this place he remained eleven years, in the 
meantime adding one hundred and seventeen acres to his original holding. 
This estate he eventually sold and made another purchase of land, amount- 
ing to about one hundred acres. Three years was spent r^pon this farm, 
after which Mr. Fogler disposed of it and moved to Carey, where he bought 
a grist-mill, conducted it for a while and then established himself upon a 
farm in Wyandot county. The next move of Mr. Fogler was to Wood county, 
Ohio, where he lived for a while on a rented farm and later purchased a 
place of forty acres in the same county. This was also disposed of, after 
which he bought another farm in Wood county, which proved to be his final 
purchase, as he died February 29, 1897. The family of Christian and Mary 
(Wagner) Fogler consisted of ten children, of whom nine are living. 

William Fogler, the subject of this sketch, was born in Fairfield county, 
March 22, 1850, and is the only one of the children who is living in Hancock 
county. After the usual routine in the district schools he commenced work 
early on the farm and has always followed agricultural pursuits. His first 
investment in real estate was the purchase of ninety-two acres of land in 



148 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Jackson township, which, however, he soon disposed of, and in 1893 removed 
to Big Lick township. There he owns and operates a farm consisting of sev- 
enty-seven and a half acres, devoted to general farming and stock-raising. 
Mr. Fogler keeps his place in a high state of cultivation and allows no one to 
surpass him in keeping up with modern improvements. 

In 1874 Mr. Fogler w^as united in marriage with Miss Margaret Lee, 
wdio has borne him three children: Jennie, born in 1877, died May 2, 1878; 
Anna, born June 6, 1879; and Eva, born January 4, 1881. Margaret Lee 
was the daughter of Z. P. and Zilla (Gilbert) Lee, the former a farmer, who 
is still living, while she died in 1896. Richard Lee, the grandfather of Mrs. 
Fogler, was a farmer and died in the prime of life, while his father, Zebulin, 
was born in Wales and came to this country as a young man to seek his 
fortune. He came to Hancock county when it was all a forest. Zilla Gilbert 
was a daughter of Aquilla Gilbert, who was born in England and came over 
to this country to better his financial condition. He met with good success 
and died here at the age of eighty-nine years. John Fogler, grandfather of 
our subject, was a farmer who lived to advanced years. 

JAMES A. ENFIELD. 

During his residence of thirty-two years in Hancock county, the gentle- 
man above mentioned, by his exemplary life and industrious habits has proved 
himself a worthy addition to its citizenship. He comes of excellent old Mary- 
land stock, his ancestry having always enjoyed respectable standing in their 
community, reared their children in the pathw^ays of truth and honor, and 
trained them to lives of usefulness. Jacob Enfield, though a native of York 
county, Pennsylvania, went early to Harford county, Maryland, and there 
spent forty years of his life. He became acquainted with Miss Nancy How- 
lett, member of one of the old families of Harford county, and in due time 
was united in marriage with that lady. During his earlier years Jacob fol- 
lowed the trade of a miller, by which occupation he obtained a good liveli- 
hood, but eventually he drifted into agricultural pursuits, to which he ex- 
clusively devoted all of his later life. He lost his first wife by death in 1855, 
subsequently married a Miss Smith, by whom there was no issue, and his own 
career was closed by the final summons in 1892. By his first wife Jacob 
Enfield had eight children, seven of whom grew to maturity and three are 
still living. James A. Enfield, who is one of the latter and the immediate 
subject of this biography, was born in Harford county, Maryland, March 
10, 1846, and was reared and educated in his native place. In 1870 he re- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY i49 

moved to Hancock county, where he in time became the possessor of a neat 
little farm of forty acres, where he has since lived and carried on general agri- 
culture. Though his place is small it is well cultivated and well managed, 
Mr. Enfield making his land so productive as to yield him a comfortable living. 
December 2'y, 1868, a year or two before coming to Ohio, Mr. Enfield 
was married to Miss Emma, daughter of Benjamin and Emma (Harvey) 
Weeks, substantial citizens of Harford county, where the former was a suc- 
cessful farmer. Of the six children who came to bless their union, George 
A. has passed away ; Florence M., the eldest daughter, is now the wife of Jason 
Snyder; three children blessed this union, Everett, Arena and Christa; Aura 
married LeRoy Garber; two children came to this union, Wilber and Francis; 
O. D. is attending normal school at Angola, Indiana, where he expects to 
graduate in 1903; John W. is the husband of Etha, daughter of Levi Bright; 
and James B. is deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Enfield are members of the United 
Brethren church, in which he has held the position of class leader for twenty 
years, being also trustee for a number of years and for a term was superin- 
tendent of the Sunday-school. He has never been an aspirant for office, pre- 
ferring business to politics, but his neighbors having elected him constable, 
he discharged the duties of that place to the best of his ability and was com- 
mended as a good official. Both the older and younger members of the 
Enfield family are highly esteemed in their respective spheres, and contribute 
their full share to the upbuilding of the communities in which they reside. 
John S., the oldest brother of our subject, moved to Missouri in 1873. He 
is a farmer and Christian gentleman of high standing in that state. Samuel 
P., second oldest son, lives in York county, Pennsylvania, where he has been 
quite successful in farming. 

ANDREW CRAMER. 

The late Andrew Cramer, a well known and highly respected resident 
of Liberty township, Hancock county, was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, 
oti July 22, 1827. His parents w^ere Henry and Mary Cramer, who came to 
Hancock county when Andrew was a lad of fifteen years. 

The early life of Andrew Cramer was one of toil. He learned the black- 
smith trade and worked at this in connection with farming for a number 
of years. Although he died possessed of a large farm, he earned his first 
eighty acres of it by chopping wood from it and selling the same. As soon as 
he cleared this eighty, he bought forty acres more, located in Wood county, 
and also bought a small farm in Henry county. He was a hard working man 



150 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

of upright character and through Hfe enjoyed the respect of his neighbors. In 
pohtics he was a hfe-long Democrat, but during the Civil war, when he became 
subjected to draft, he immediately secured a substitute. Mr. Cramer was a 
quiet, home-loving man who attends closely to his business, and providently 
secured a fine estate for his family. His death occurred in 1895, after a long 
and useful life. 

In 1840 he married Christina Allen, who was born on March 16, 1829, in 
Pickaway county, Ohio, and they had a family of six children : John, Mary, 
Elizabeth, Joseph, Julia and Amos. Mrs. Cramer came to Hancock county 
when she was fourteen years old. She owns two hundred acres of fine land 
suitable for farming purposes, but her greatest revenues are received from 
some fourteen oil wells which are in operation on it. She is a much respected 
resident of Liberty township. 

SAMUEL LEMOTT. 

In Samuel Lemott Uncle Sam has one of his many public servants who 
daily conduct the great government enterprise which has added more to the 
comfort and material, intellectual and moral progress of this country than 
any institution under the control of the central government, the United States 
postoffice. And his popular and genial character enables him to fill this posi- 
tion to the eminent satisfaction of the citizens of the thriving little village of 
Vanlue. 

John Lemott, the father of Samuel, is a native of Franklin county, this 
state, his birth occurring there in 1834, thus being one of Ohio's old set- 
tlers. By trade he was a plasterer and bore the reputation of being a first-class 
mechanic; he was honest and industrious and his long life, though unmarked 
with stirring events, has been fruitful in the good deeds that are within the 
power of every man. In 1840 he removed to Hancock county, taking up his 
residence in Amanda township, and there in connection with his trade he 
followed farming. He married Miss Jane Starr, and of their nine children 
four are now living. Mrs. Lemott died in 1875, but Mr. Lemott is still 
living and, retired from active labor, makes his home in Carey. 

Samuel, the son of John and Jane (Starr) Lemott, was born in Amanda 
township, Hancock county, December 15, 1853; 1^^ there grew up to manhood 
and while gaining his education in the common schools he was accounted one 
of the brightest and most eager pupils, imbibing many lessons which should 
be valuable to him when tempered in the schools of after life. His school 
days over, he himself became a teacher and in this met with success beyond 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 151 

his most sanguine expectations. But with wise forethought, in order that he 
might have some manual occupation to which he could turn in case of an 
emergency, he served time with his father and became skilled in the plasterer's 
trade, at which he worked for a few years. His next employment was in the 
mercantile line and for eight years he was" clerk for Mr. U. Sillik. Mr. Le- 
mott has been especially prominent in the public affairs of his community. 
Although he is a stanch adherent of the Republican party, he has by his 
strict integrity and capable administration of public places of trust met with 
the approval of men of both parties. He has filled the office of assessor of 
the township for four years, held the office of justice of the peace for three 
years, and was a member of the school board for fourteen years, part of 
which time he was clerk; and, as has been mentioned, he now is in the place 
of postmaster of the town. In connection with these interests he is agent for 
the Farmers' Mutual Fire and Storm Insurance Company, his territory em- 
bracing Jackson, Delaware and Amanda townships. 

On February 22, 1877, Mr. Lemott married Miss Martha Snider, who is 
the daughter of John and Eliza (Treece) Snider, and was born on her 
father's farm in Amanda township, February 7, 1858. To this marri'age 
have been born eight children : Wellie, who is now deputy postmaster ; Inez ; 
Otto; Burnice; Edward; Grace; Dorotha; and Henry. Mr. Lemott owns a 
pleasant little farm near Vanlue, and there he resides and delights to enter- 
tain his many friends, who rejoice in his hospitality and unite in wishing him 
continued success. Mr. Lemott's father, who was a soldier of the Union 
during the Civil war, is a well preserved veteran of sixty-eight years. He is 
still working at his trade and able to hold his own with the best of them. 

E. V. VAN LUE. 

Perhaps no name has been longer and better known in Hancock county 
than that of Van Lue. Infallible evidence that some one of the family has 
impressed his individuality on the community is furnished by the fact that one 
of the villages of the county is named in his honor. In pioneer periods towns, 
rivers, creeks and notable natural features usually got their designations from 
the first discoverers or earliest settlers or as the result of some remarkable hap- 
pening, like a battle or murder. Thus the nomenclature of a locality often 
furnishes clues both to its general and personal history, and a name frequently 
points a moral as well as adorns a tale. In the case under consideration the 
village in Amanda township recalls William Van Lue, who is shown on in- 
quiry to have been one of the earliest arrivals and a man of sufficient strength 



152 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISrORY 

of character to make himself remembered after his day. Other members of 
the family, however, are worthy of consideration and included among these 
is Frederick Van Lue, who was the first comer and founder of the family in 
Hancock county. He married Rebecca Brown in the east and "moved in" at a 
time when Hancock county gave little evidence that it would eventually be- 
come the abode of peace and plenty which it now presents to the beholder. 
Mrs. Alspach, who resides in Amanda township and is one of the few inter- 
esting relicts surviving the brave days of the long ago, knew the first Van 
Lue quite well, and her career covers the whole period of the family's growth 
in the county. Jacob Van Lue, a son of the original emigrant, inherited some 
of the push and daring which characterized the first founders, and is a man 
wdio impresses one favorably on acquaintance. He is a living refutation of 
the old saying that "a jack of all trades is a master of none," because Jacob has 
tried many things and has succeeded in them all. He has been a butcher, a 
a hotel keeper, a farmer and other things, but it was common re- 
mark around the neighborhood that whatever Jake Van Lue undertook was 
sure to succeed. This shows not only that he had business ability but that he 
was above the average in the art of knowing just what he wanted to do as well 
as how to do it. He was born in Amanda township, on the farm where his 
father first located, and there, after reaching maturity, he married one of his 
neighbor's daughters, named Leah Fenstermacher. This lady died in 1877, 
when still young, but left her husband as a memorial of their union a son, con- 
cerning whom something more will be said later on. Jacob married again, 
and is now living in Michigan, where his old good fortune seems to have fol- 
lowed him, as the reports coming back all agree in saying that he is doing a 
prosperous business. His uncle William, the same who gave his name to the 
village of Van Lue, was more of a public character than any of the family, and 
was perhaps the most noted of the connection. He was quite popular in 
politics as well as business, as is evidenced by the fact that the people elected 
him to the important office of county treasurer, in which he made a highly 
commendable record, and his neighbors also insisted that he should try their 
cases and settle their disputes as a justice of the peace. 

Having now disposed of the ancestry we come to the gentleman whose 
life and surroundings furnish the real reasons for the compilation of this bi- 
ography. E. V. Van Lue, the only son of Jacob and Leah alluded to above, 
was born at the ancestral home in Hancock county, Ohio, July 20, 1863. He 
grew up in his native township of Amanda, and his natural inclination was to 
become a farmer on his own acocunt, which laudable ambition was gratified 
by the purchase in 1893 of the pleasant and productive place which has since 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 153 

constituted his homestead. This land was originally entered by a man named 
Daniel Beck, but has since and quite generally been known in the neighbor- 
hood as the "L. C. Clark farm." Like most of the Amanda township acre- 
age, this tract is fertile, and Mr. Van Lue, by his skillful management has 
made it produce up to the best standard of land in that vicinity. In fact he is 
a decidedly progressive and up-to-date farmer, carrying things on by modern 
methods, using the latest improvements and altogether setting an example 
worthy of twentieth century agriculture. The result is seen not only in the 
abundant crops and fine fat stock turned off but in the neat appearance of all 
the surroundings. Personally Mr. Van Lue has the reputation of being an 
unusually well informed man for his opportunities, and certainly exhibits a 
keen perception as well as accurate information on subjects relating to his 
special industry. Aside from his private business affairs he has given up 
some time to service of the public as township trustee, an office which he held 
six years, and to transacting the business of clerk for a somewhat shorter 
period. On the social side Mr. Van Lue has been as fortunate as in his busi- 
ness relations, having chosen his wife wisely and lived with her happily. His 
choice of a bride fell upon Miss Ida Clark, one of the popular farmer's daugh- 
ters of Richland township, Wyandot county, Ohio, and to her he was wedded 
in 1892, at her home in Amanda township. An examination indicates that 
the four children springing from this union are thus recorded in the family 
register:' Frances was born April 8, 1893; Ethel, November 9, 1894; Mary, 
on January 13, 1900, and Gouldier, October 30, 1902. 

EPHRAIM I. OMAN. 

Though not among the first the Omans were very early settlers of Han- 
cock county, as the family was established here as far back as 1840. In that 
year John Oman, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1804, made his appearance 
in Hancock county and identified himself with its interests by purchasing 
eighty acres of land in Eagle township. Previously he had met and married 
Faithful Ellet, who was born in Summit county, Ohio, in 1809, and after 
locating on his new purchase he built a log cabin for the accommodation of 
his wife and children. In this rude and temporary shelter they resided until 
John's circumstances enabled him to provide a more commodious dwelling 
house. Being a good farmer, of industrious habits and strictly attentive to his 
own business, he prospered from the start and was soon comfortably fixed for 
those early days in Ohio. In due time he had added eighty acres of land to his 
original purchase, and all of it was greatly improved by skillful cultivation 



154 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPEIICAL HISTORY 

and the other adjuncts of wise husbandry. He and his wife, who died May 
28, 1876, were consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church and re- 
garded as model Christians by their friends and neighbors. In 1890 Mr. 
Oman sold his farm property to the Standard Oil Company and purchased a 
place in Amanda township, on which he lived until his death, June 17, 1893. 
He had five children, but of these Ephraim I. Oman, the subject of this 
sketch, is the only survivor. 

He was born on his father's farm in Eagle township, Hancock county, 
Ohio, October 11, 1843, and grew up to a familiarity with agricultural pur- 
suits, which he has followed throughout the course of his life. He remained on 
the farms in both Eagle and Amanda townships, and after his father's death 
fell heir to all the property as the only surviving son. When twenty years old 
he enlisted as a member of Company E, Twenty-ninth Regiment, Ohio Vol- 
unteer Infantry, and served faithfully with his command until honorably dis- 
charged at the close of the war. After the termination of hostilities Mr. 
Oman returned to his Ohio home and quietly resumed farm work, in which 
he showed that industry and steady application which in the long run are the 
direct factors of success. In 1867 he was married to Minerva, daughter of 
Joseph and Barbara (Bibbler) Newell,. of Jackson township. The only child 
of this union was a daughter named Emma, who was born in 1868 and died 
March 18, 1890. Mr. and Mrs. Oman are members of the Methodist Epis- 
copal church, in which he has held some offices. Mr. Oman ranks as one 
of the leading as well as most popular citizens of his neighborhood, and has 
been honored by election to important township offices. He is a Republican 
in his political views, but in local affairs votes for the man best fitted for the 
office, regardless of party. 

WILLIAM HECKERT. 

This name will need no introduction in circles acquainted with the inven- 
tions in machinery of the higher class or the present history of applied mechan- 
ics in its various departments. In certain lines of inventive skill Mr. Heckert 
is better known than any man in the country, and it is difficult to say which is 
the more wonderful, the ingenuity or the multiplicity of his achievements in 
mechanical science. The list is so long and the devices so numerous that it is 
impossible in this space to find room even for a bare catalogue, but a few gen- 
eral remarks may give some conception of Mr. Heckert' s contributions to the 
intellectual progress of this phenomenal age. He has designed and built over 
one thousand different machines, all of which have gone into use in the fac- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY i55 

tories of this country and many of which have made large fortunes for their 
purchasers. A very large and significant portion of his business has been that 
of correcting- the imperfections of other men's inventions. Hundreds of these 
which had failed of their puropse, being brought to Mr. Heckert, were re- 
designed by him and made operative. This process, like making a new coat 
out of an old one, is regarded by experts as more difficult than building a 
machine from the beginning, the serious bar consisting in the limitations and 
restraints imposed by the imperfections and the retention of old 
parts for the sake of economy. Perhaps his greatest single achievement was 
the invention of what was known in the scientific world as the hot rolled 
seamless tube, which is regarded as an epoch-making discovery in the steel 
nidustry. During his career at Providence it was Mr. Heckert's business to 
bid upon and take contracts to design and build new and untried machines to 
perform a given work impossible before of accomplishment and at a fixed price 
and at a time limit. His success in this line at the time gave him the reputation 
of being the greatest mechanical genius in all New England. Circumstances 
and his versatile talent led him from one accomplishment to another, up to the 
perfection of machinery that promises to revolutionize the steel industry of the 
world. His mechanical and scientific research and attainments have been 
more extensive than it is possible to describe in this biography, but it is safe to 
predict that in the history of great accomplishments he will take his place 
among the greatest. 

William Heckert was born at Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, in 1842, and at 
the age of five years his parents removed to a farm in Butler county, where he 
grew up and received his education in the common schools. When twenty 
years old he went to Pittsburg, where he learned wood carving and stair 
building, seven or eight years being spent in that city and at Sharon, Penn- 
sylvania. After that time he lived four years at Newcastle, in the same state, 
where he was engaged in the manufacture of printing presses. But his estab- 
lishment having been destroyed by fire in February, 1872, he sought a location 
at Providence, Rhode Island, where he spent the five subsequent years. In 
that city his special genius first commenced to show itself decidedly, as there he 
originated the first automatic presses for color printing and also those for 
printing tickets. He organized the Monitor Press and Machine Company and 
carried on the business of manufacturing and selling the Monitor presses, as 
also the designing and building of special machinery of all kinds for nine 
years. He made and sold fifteen hundred of the Monitor presses, meantime 
designing and building over a thousand different machines for as many differ- 
ent purposes, from watchmaking to locomotive building, from delicate geo- 



156 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

metrical lathes for engTaving bank notes to the ponderous machinery for driv- 
ing cable railways. In 1878 Mr. Heckert's factory was absorbed by the Na- 
tional Bank Note Company, of New York, and soon afterward this company 
was consolidated with the American National Bank Note Company and the 
Continental Bank Note Company. Mr. Heckert was made general superin- 
tendent of the mechanical department and held that highly responsible posi- 
tion for three years, after which time he went into the manufacture of special 
machinery at Yonkers, New York. He continued in this line several years and 
then merged his business with the Korting Gas Engine Manufacturing Com- 
pany, of Germany, with headquarters in New York City. Mr. Heckert, being 
made general superintendent of the business, first improved the Korting en- 
gine and soon afterward designed a gas engine of his own on a greatly im- 
proved plan, which he sold to the Korting Company, and this they have since 
been building in place of their own. 

In 1889 Mr. Heckert came to Findlay, Ohio, and for three years had 
charge as superintendent of the Kellogg Seamless Tube Company, which busi- 
ness he completely reorganized and placed on a firm basis. When this re- 
modeled plant started up it turned out, without hitch or bolt, the hot rolled 
seamless tube for the first time in the history of the world. 

In 1892 he retired from the Kellog Company, since which time he has 
been connected with various enterprises, and at present is engaged with 
Judge Henry W. Seney, of Toledo, Ohio, in the introduction of their " Tri- 
motor," which scientific and engineering experts admit to be the most meri- 
torious invention and discovery of modern times. The utilization of fuel from 
which the world derives nearly all its artificial light and power, has been so 
imperfect that nine-tenths of its heat energy has been wasted, or 90 cents out 
of every dollar paid for fuel, light and power has been thrown away. This 
condition has been reversed by Mr. Heckert's scientific work, and nine-tenths 
of the heat energy of fuel can now be utilized. The self-firing "Trimotor" 
now being introduced, using crude oil as fuel, furnishes steam heat, hot and 
cold water wherever wanted, with gas as fuel for cook stoves and electric 
light for domestic and all other purposes. The "Trimotor" is adapted to all 
motive power purposes, dispensing with firemen, smoke stacks and the smoke 
nuisance, giving three times as much power from a given quantity of fuel, as 
the best steam or gas engines now give, thus making the most valuable scien- 
tific advance of modern times. 

On the 25th of December, 1869, Mr. Heckert was united in marriage to 
Laura, daughter of Lester M. Williams, of Sharon, Pennsylvania. Mrs. 
Heckert claims descent from Roger Williams, the famous religious reformer 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY i57 

at the period of the first Puritans in New England. Mr. Heckert is not con- 
nected with any rehgious denomination and has but httle time to spare from 
his busy hfe for anything but his special pursuits. He served, however, for 
one term in the Findlay city council, being elected to that position by the Re- 
publican party, to which he has always given his political allegiance. Two of 
his father's older brothers served in the war of 1812 in the United States 
army, while their parents resided where Germantown, Pennsylvania, is now 
located. 

RUFUS E. TAYLOR. 

This gentleman, at present with the Sucker Rod Company at Findlay, has 
had an interesting career in oil, and can relate some graphic experiences of the 
ups and owns of that hazardous but fascinating business. One year getting a 
salary of $150 a month, the next glad to work for $20; now on the high tide 
of success with money in the bank, and a fortune in sight, and later completely 
out of both friends and work, and in that rueful condition which speculators 
denominate as "busted." Such are a few of the contrasts which Mr. Taylor 
experienced and can describe graphically as well as amusingly, but in the end 
fickle fortune smiled upon him, crowned his labors with success and enabled 
him to extract from the slippery subterranean fluid the means of competence 
and comfort. 

Rufus E. Taylor was born on a farm in Geauga county, Ohio, June 6, 
1859, and remained at home until thirteen years old, after wdiich he got only 
two months' schooling. At the tender age mentioned the boy went alone to 
Petrolia, Pennsylvania, to clerk in a grocery store owned by his brother, E. 
C. Taylor. He remained there, however, but a short time, then returned to 
Ohio, and worked on a farm in Lake county for seven months, after which, 
with the restlessness of youth, he again went back to Petrolia. This time he 
engaged in the oil business and when only fifteen years old was getting $80 
per month, which was increased in the following year to $150 per month. The 
wheel of fortune, however, took a turn before his departure from Petrolia, 
which occurred in 1877, when he was in that impecunious condition described 
by the initiated as "broke." The next move took him over to Connecticut and 
in this "land of steady habits" he was glad to get a job at $20 a month, for 
which he worked about one year and again turned his face westward. Going 
back to his home county in Ohio, he was married there in 1880 to Ella L., 
daughter of William L. Leland, after which event he remained quietly at 
home for a year and a half. Six months were then spent in the employment 



158 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

of a firm engaged in the oil business in Allegany county, New York, when 
again we find Mr. Taylor in Geauga county running a threshing machine. 
This occupation lasted during one fall and winter and in 1886 Mr. Taylor 
came to Findlay with scarcely a dollar in his pocket. Nothing daunted, how- 
ever, he formed a partnership with H. A. Watts and E. C. Taylor for the 
drilling of oil wells by contract and this venture proved another favorable turn 
in his fortunes. He operated with his partners until August, 1897, when he 
disposed of his interests and found himself in possession of a handsome 
profit. Feeling entitled to a rest, Mr. Taylor put in a year or so in travel, 
being absent from Findlay until the spring of i8g8, and two years later he 
purchased a half interest in the Findlay Sucker Rod Company, which he dis- 
posed of in March, 1902. Mr. Taylor's political affiliations are with the Re- 
publican party, and he served one year on the city board of improvements of 
Findlay. His fraternal connections are with Masonry, in which he has 
leached the thirty-second degree, the Elks, Knights of Pythias and the Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows. 

FRANK VAN SANT. 

Frank Van Sant, one of the inost progressive and successful agricul- 
turists of Jackson tovv'nship, shows in his methods of farm management deep 
scientific knowledge, combined with sound practical judgment, and the re- 
sults show that high class farming as an occupation can be made profitable 
as well as pleasant. 

Mr. Van Sant was born in Liberty township, this county, January i, 
1854, his parents being William and Harriet (Mains) Van Sant. The father 
was born in Maryland, Januaryi6, 1812, of Holland ancestry, the name 
being originally spelled Van Zant, but was changed by him during boyhood 
upon entering school. During his youth he learned the tailor's trade, which 
he followed in the south for some years. Making considerable money, he 
lived rather extravagantly, paying eighteen dollars per yard for the cloth in 
his wedding suit ; one hundred and fifty dollars tor a watch ; fifty dollars for 
a chain and five dollars for a key. He was married in Fairfield county, Ohio, 
January 28. 1847, to Miss Harriet E. l\Tains. the ceremony being performed 
by Rev. John Stone. She was born July 7, 1824, a daughter of Jacob and 
Harriet Mains, who were of German descent. A few years after his mar- 
riage Mr. Van Sant removed to Hancock county, but after spending a short 
time here returned to Fairfield county. AlDout 1850 or 1851 he again came 
to Hancock county and settled on a farm in Liberty township, five miles 




MRS. FRAHK YAK SAHT. 




FRAHK YAH SAHT. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 159 

nortliwcst of Findlay, where he resided for four or five years. He made 
money in land trading, owning- at different times several farms in this coun- 
ty, his name appearing on more records in the county seat than that of any 
other man up to the time he left the county, about 1884. He finally secured 
the farm on which his son Frank now lives, the latter being at that time 
eighteen years of age. From this farm the father removed to Findlay in 
the fall of ] i^yb, and subsequently went to Georgia, where he made his home 
for about sixteen years, living retired at Dalton and at Tunnel Hill. For 
a year and a half prior to his death he resided with his son Frank at the pres- 
ent home of the latter, and there passed away on the 7th of July, 1900. His 
wife had died at their home in Dalton, Georgia, from cancer, August 16, 
1887, at the age of sixty-three years, one month and nine days. During her 
residence in the south she returned to Ohio two or three times, her last visit 
being only a few weeks before her death. Her remains were interred in the 
Maple Grove cemetery. For thirty-three years she was an earnest and con- 
sistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church and was beloved by all 
who knew her. 

The subject of this sketch is the fourth in order of birth in a family 
of ten children, the others being as follows: Homer H., an engineer living 
in Muncie, Indiana; Solon B., a farmer of Hancock county, who died Feb- 
ruary 22, 1900; Orril A., who died at the age of two years; Albert R., a 
farmer of Jackson township, this county; Clayton, a farmer of Deshler, 
Ohio; Sarah J., the wife of U. S. Fetters, of Jackson township; Viola, wife 
of William Oman, a retired citizen of Findlay; Alice, wife of A. C. Shank, 
of Deshler; and Elizabeth, who was murdered while standing in her own 
doorway, December 21, 1897, at the age of thirty-two years, three months 
and ten days. She was a most estimable lady, who was devoted to her parents 
and remahied with them until her death. 

During his minority Frank Van Sant gave his father the benefit of his 
labors. He accompanied the family on their remo^■al to his present farm and 
wdien his father decided to locate in town he took charge of the place and has 
since engaged in its operation, his youngest brother remaining with him 
one winter. 

On the nth of March, 1877, Mr. Van Sant was united in marriage to 
]\Iiss Phebe A. Van Horn, a daughter of George W. and Nancy (]\Iorehart) 
Van Horn, The father was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, of German 
parentage, and is now living with Mrs. Van Sant at the age of seventy-fi\-e 
years. He is the eldest of five brothers living in this county, the others being- 
Moore, of Amanda township ; Robert, of Jackson township ; and Charles E. 



i6o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

and John, both of Amanda township. George W. Van Horn was educated 
in the schools of Hancock county and taught for several years in early life at 
fifty cents per day. His brother Moore was also a teacher and his daughter, 
Mrs. Van Sant, followed the same occupation in Jackson and Amanda town- 
ships prior to her marriage. She was educated in the Mount Blanchard and 
Findlay high schools. Her father became one of the successful farmers of 
this county. Mr. and Mrs. Van Sant have two daughters : Cora, who com- 
pleted iier education in the Mt. Blanchard high school and taught for two 
years, is now the wife of John N. Edie, who operates one of our subject's 
farms, and they have one child, Arthur. Jessie, the younger daughter, is at 
home with her parents and is still in school. 

For a few years after his marriage Mr. Van Sant rented his father's 
farm, consisting of two hundred and forty acres, and then bought one hun- 
dred and sixty acres and later the remainder of the tract. Since then he 
has purchased fifteen acres more a mile distant. His wife being one of two 
daughters, received onedialf of her father's estate, and buying her sister's 
interest, became the owner of one hundred and sixty acres, comprising the 
Van Horn homestead. To this has been added an adjoining tract of eighty 
acres, so that she and her husband now lack only five acres of five hundred 
acres. Upon the home place has been erected good and substantial buildings, 
including a modern residence, and there are also two other houses upon the 
land, which is rented. Mr. Van Zandt has also laid considerable tiling, so 
that his land is now in first class condition, being rich and productive, yield- 
ing a golden tribute in return for the care and labor bestowed upon it. In 
connection with general farming he carries on stock raising, making a spe- 
cialty of sheep, of which he keeps from three to five hundred head upon his 
place. These are of a high grade and he realizes a good income both from 
the wool and mutton. ]\Tr. Van Sant's residence, one of the best in the town- 
ship, was built in 1897, at a cost of about four thousand dollars. On the 
home farm there are eight producing gas wells. 

Originally Mr. V^an Sant was a Democrat in politics, but his views on 
the tarifif question were more in accordance with the principles of the Re- 
publican party, and he is now a stanch supporter of the latter. He is gen- 
erally a delegate to the county conventions of his party and was at one time 
a candidate for county commissioner. P^or four years he acceptably served 
as township treasurer and he has always been found true and faithful to any 
trust reposed in him, \A-hether public or private. Both he and his wife are 
active and consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Houck- 
town, and during his entire membership with that congregaion he has served 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY i6i 

as trustee and steward. The family are faithful attendants at both church 
and Sunday-school. Fraternally Mr. Van Zandt is a member of the Masonic 
lodge at Findlay and the Odd Fellows lodge at Mount Blanchard. He 
commands the respect and confidence of all with whom he comes in contact, 
either in business or social life, and is held in the highest regard by all who 
know him. 

HEZEKIAH CORWIN. 

Hezekiah Corwin, who now lives retired from active business, in his 
pleasant home at Findlay, was born on a farm in Wayne county, Ohio, in 
1836, and is a son of Peter Corwin, who was born in 1810, in Pennsylvania, 
but who died on his farm in Hancock county, Ohio, in i860. He was a son of 
Morris Corwin, who also died in the same county, in 1852, when about sev- 
enty years of age. The two surviving children of Peter Corwin are our sub- 
ject and his sister Harriet, who is the wafe of John Phifer, of Hancock county, 
Ohio. 

Hezekiah Corwin w^as but an infant when his parents moved from the 
farm in Wayne county to the the village of Perrysburg, and a few years later 
to Jeromeville, now in Ashland county, Ohio. In 1849 the family removed 
to Findlay, where our subject acquired the most of his education, as he lived 
on a farm just outside the corporation limits. After attaining his majority, 
Mr. Corwin learned the brick mason's trade and followed the same for some 
years. When the Civil war broke out, it found him ready and willing to do his 
duty, and in August, 1861, he enlisted in Company A, Forty-ninth Ohio Vol- 
unteer Infantry, in which he served for twenty months, receiving then an hon- 
orable discharge on account of disability, being at that time a corporal with 
every indication of promotion. During a great part of the time he was 
detailed as wagon driver. 

Upon leaving the army, Mr. Corwin returned to Findlay, but the busi- 
ness depression of that time made it difficult to obtain work and finally he 
returned to his trade and followed it for three years. He then engaged in 
farming and also in teaming for several years, and then opened a livery 
stable at Bluffton, Ohio. Nine months later he decided to remove his busi- 
ness to Findlay, where he successfully conducted a stable until about 1887, 
when a favorable opportunity was offered for disposing of his interests and 
j\Ir. Corwin sold to advantage. In 1889 he again embarked in the business 
and carried it on for three years, since then living retired. 

In 1869 Mr. Corwin was married to Miss Sarah Spangler, in Findlay, 



i62 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

and one daughter, Nellie, was born to this marriage. In politics our subject 
is identified with the Republican party. The family is well known, as Peter 
Corwin was a very successful teacher for many years. 

ABSALOM P. BYAL. 

This gentleman, now a retired business man of Findlay, is one of those 
interesting characters who act as connecting links between the pioneer past 
and the progressive present. He has been a resident of Plancock county since 
1833, a period of nearly seventy years, and during that time has witnessed 
practically the whole development of both county and city. His career 
covers a period of momentous events in the history of state and nation, in- 
cluding three of the national wars, and that marvelous settlement and organi- 
zation of the great chain of states which stretch from the Mississippi to the 
distant shores of the Pacific. Nor was Mr. Byal by any means an idle spec- 
tator of this vast national panorama of moving pictures. He did his full share 
in helping along the industrial growth of this section, and, as will be seen 
later, figured conspicuously both in the public and private business affairs of 
his county. The name of Byal is of French origin, and the founder of the 
family in this country emigrated from France with an English wife and 
settled in Maryland about the middle of the eighteenth century. This emi- 
grant left one son, named Peter, who served in the Revolutionary war, and an- 
other named William Byal, who was born near Baltimore, Maryland, in 1765, 
and came to Stark county, Ohio, in March, 1810. He engaged in farming 
there, and so continued until September, 1833, when he removed to Hancock 
county, resumed his old occupation of tilling the soil and was thus employed 
until death terminated his labors in 1840. He was married twice, his second 
wife being Catherine Shilling, who died April 14, 1865, leaving five children, 
four of whom are living. 

Absalom P. Byal, eldest of the children last mentioned, was born in Stark 
county, Ohio, June 19, 1821, and was consequently twelve years old when 
brought by his parents to Hancock county. He grew up on the farm in Find- 
lay township and made his first independent business venture in his eighteenth 
year, by purchasing and driving a team, which occupation was later varied by 
farming, trading and other pursuits. It was his custom in those youthful 
days to eke out his income by teaching during the winters and shipping a 
little grain in season. So things went along until 1842, when he secured ap- 
pointment as deputy sheriff of Hancock county, and was employed in that ca- 
pacity during the following two years. In 1846 he was elected sheriff for a 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 163 

term of two years, but after serving half that time resigned to accept appoint- 
ment as clerk of the court, in which office he served for six and one-half years. 
He then began farming a tract of land which he had purchased in Findlay 
township and on which he lived during the next six years. In 1861 he re- 
moved to Findlay, lived there until 1867, and then moved to another farm 
within the corporation limits, which became his permanent residence. 

Mr. Byal is a member of the Democratic party, and in the past has been 
prominent as one of its leaders. In 1883 he was elected to represent Han- 
cock county in the legislature, and made so satisfactory a record that he was 
lewarded by re-election in 1885. Still higher honor was conferred upon 
him when, in 1873, he was chosen as the representative of his party and 
county in the constitutional convention of that year. In addition to this he 
was at one time elected justice of the peace, but resigned from that office before 
his term had expired. Mr'. Byal is a communicant of the Presbyterian church 
and long conspicuous in Masonry, being the oldest member of that order in 
Hancock county, who was created a Mason here. 

In September, 1845, Mr. Byal was married, at Findlay, to Sarah A., 
daughter of A. Youngkin, and by this union there were five children, of whom 
four grew to maturity: Clara E., wife of P. W. Ball, of Springfield, Ohio; 
Sarah C, wife of Dr. Cass R. Carlin, deceased; William A., of Findlay; and 
Ida H., wife of J. J. Bradner, of Marion, Indiana. The mother died in May, 
1865, and Mr, Byal contracted his second matrimonial alliance with Sally 
Mavety, to whom he was married at Findlay, in October, 1867. Of the two 
children resulting from this union, Nellie was drowned at the age of three 
3'-ears, and George F. makes his home with his father. Mrs. Byal died Febru- 
ary 16, 1897. 

GOTLOB D. FISHER. 

John Fisher was a man of consideration in his native land of Germany 
and occupied a position of prominence in the business affairs of his com- 
munity. Like all other Germans he was compelled to serve his time in the 
army, but as it was an era of peace, nothing notable occurred during his mili- 
tary career. After this enforced service he returned to his home, where he 
prospered and held the office of constable, which is a much higher and more 
responsible position than the one of similar designation in this country. In 
early manhood he married and with his wife Frederika, carried out a long 
cherished design by emigrating to the United States in 1857. Making his 
way to Hancock county, Ohio, he tarried for a while in Washington township 



1 64 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

and later bought eighty acres of land in the township of Cass, He and his 
good wife soon made this farm "blossom as the rose" and when prosperity 
visited them a fine brick residence was erected, in which they lived with com- 
fort and reared their offspring. They were members of the Lutheran church, 
led exemplary and useful lives and gained the good will of all their neighbors. 
Mrs. Fisher died in 1869, and her husband passed to his final rest in the year 
1884. Of their nine children the only survivors are William, Philip, Caro- 
line and Gotlob D. Fisher. The latter, who is the subject of this sketch, was 
born in Germany, June 2, 1843, and was consequently fourteen years of age 
when brought to Ohio by his parents. He had received some education in his 
native land, and his studies were continued after arrival in the schools of Han- 
cock county. His chief difficulty, however, was the acquisition of our some- 
what complicated language, but by dint of perseverance, study and contact 
with American boys and girls, the bright German lad eventually mastered its 
intricacies and now speaks English like a native. As he grew up he worked 
and saved and in 1871 found himself able to assume the responsibilities of a 
landed proprietor, his first purhcase consisting of eighty acres in Big Lick 
township. This original tract was increased by various subsequent purchases 
until at the present time Mr. Fisher owns three hundred acres of well im- 
proved land. Among the neighbors in Big Lick township was a family of 
Camps, who enjoyed the honored title of "early pioneers," inasmuch as Hen- 
ry Camp, the founder, had arrived on the scene during the period of first set- 
tlements. He entered the eighty acres of land, which was soon increased by 
the addition of as much more, and this, by skillful cultivation and manage- 
ment, was eventually made a very valuable property. While Henry Camp and 
his wife Cynthia were residing in Wayne county, Ohio, in 1843, ^ daughter 
was born to them whom they christened Orcilla, and this lady after she grew 
up in Hancock county, became the wife of Gotlob D. Fisher, the ceremony be- 
ing performed in 1864. In the progress of years the household was bright- 
ened and made happy by the birth of numerous children, whose names are 
thus recorded in the family register: Henry; John; Cynthia; Joseph; Mag- 
gie; Edgar and Esther (twins) ; Frank, Flora and a deceased child. Mr. 
Fisher, as well as his wife and her family, was reared in the faith of the Pres- 
byterian church, and he is one of the esteemed elders of that denomination. 
No man stands higher in the community as a citizen, w^hile his thrift and skill 
as a husbandman command the admiration of all his neighbors. Mr. Fisher 
possesses the German geniality of disposition, as well as the German good 
sense and adaptability to surroundings, and these qualities are of great value 
as makers of friends. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 165 

JAMES WILSON. 

The above named gentleman, who is at present city infirmary director 
of Findlay, is one of the oldest residents and has had quite an adventurous 
career during his long lifetime. He can say what few are able to say, that he 
has been an active participant in two of the nation's most important wars and 
his experiences in each have involved a number and variety of dangers unusual 
in the case of ordinary military veterans. The details of these adventures will 
be given later on, and here it is only necessary to add that Mr. Wilson is an 
interesting man to know, as he has seen much and can relate many interesting 
stories of accident by flood and field, which make him a pleasant companion to 
converse with. With these introductory remarks we will now proceed to give 
in outline the main events in the life of this veteran and pioneer. 

James Wilson was born near Columbus, Ohio, in 1822, and there re- 
ceived such education as he was destined to- obtain through the medium of 
schools. The Mexican war was on when he had reached his twenty-fourth 
year, and actuated by a desire for a brush with the "greasers" he enlisted, in 
1846, at Newark, in Company H, Second Regiment, Ohio Volunteer In- 
fantry, commanded by Colonel George W. Morgan. His term was for one 
year, but that proved ample time to satisfy his curiosity as to the fighting 
qualities of our somewhat hasty-tempered neighbors across the Rio Grande 
border. He was in the battle of Marine, where one hundred and thirty of his 
regiment were surrounded by three thousand Mexicans, but managed to fight 
them off and then made a forced march to join the rest of the regiment, who 
were stationed twenty-two miles away. When the little band of heroes, foot 
sore and weary, arrived at this place they found their companions surrounded 
by the same crowd of Mexicans from whom they had themselves lately es- 
caped. This was the principal adventure in the Land of the Montezumas, but 
while among the cactus and maguey plants of that interesting country ]\Ir. 
Wilson was often in skirmishes with guerrilla bands or detached portions of 
the regular troops. After being mustered out of the service he made his way 
back to his Ohio home, and in 1848 came to Findlay, to stay in a jewelry store 
of his brother during the latter's sickness. He had learned the jewelr}^ trade 
and was running a store at Newark when he enlisted for Mexico, but on his 
return from the war he worked at other points awhile and in 1853 came to 
Findlay. He resumed the jewelry business temporarily, but two years later 
took possession of a Hancok county farm and was engaged for three years in 
rasing stock. He then came to Findlay and was engaged in buying grain or 
working in a railroad warehouse until the outbreak of the Civil war changed 



1 66 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

all his plans and affected his whole future career. As soon as hostilities opened 
Mr. Wilson began to raise a company for the service, but soon had enough 
men to make two companies, and on the 17th of April, 1861, received a com- 
mission as captain from Governor Dennison. He was assigned to the 
Twenty-first Regiment, Ohio A^'olunteer Infantry, as commander of Company 
A, and served as such during the three months' term of his enlistment, after 
^vhich he was mustered out. Returning to Ohio, he proceeded at once to raise 
another company in Hancock county, of which he was made captain and which 
became Company G, Fifty-seventh Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He 
\\'ent to the front with this company, and served gallantly as its commander 
until the fortunes of war made it impossible to communicate with his men or 
exercise any control over them. His first service was in West Virginia, 
where he took part in the battles of Scary Creek and Charleston, but being- 
ordered west at a later date he was with the forces that fought through the 
bloody engagement at Shiloh. Subsequently he was in the Corinth campaign 
and under fire almost hourly at Rising Sun, Memphis, during the siege of 
Vicksburg, with the expidition up Red river and the fights at Arkansas Post 
and Jackson, Mississippi, being one of the first to enter the last mentioned 
place. In the spring of 1864 Captain Wilson's regiment was assigned to the 
army under Sherman, and participated with that great leader in the severe 
marching and fighting of that memorable campaign. July 22, 1864, while 
fighting in front of Atlanta, Captain Wilson had the misfortune to be cap- 
tured, and he was soon afterward sent to one of those southern prison pens at 
Macon, Georgia, which no guest was apt to mistake for a first-class boarding 
h.ouse. He was detained here a month and was one of the five hundred prison- 
ers sent to Charleston, South Carolina, to be placed under fire of the Federal 
batteries. After this experience he was "dumped" with his miserable com- 
panions in the middle of an open field near Columbia, South Carolina, without 
tents, cooking utensils or other necessities of camp life, and it is needless to 
undertake to describe their wretchedness and suffering. From this wretched 
den, on the 9th of November, 1864, Captain Wilson and eight of his desperate 
companions made their escape, but he was recaptured in July at a poinr 
in North Carolina, with four of his miserable comrades, two of whom were 
killed and the others sent to Asheville. Here Captains ^Vilson and Skelton 
were placed in an iron cage, where they were held a month, undergoing star- 
vation, torture and miseries indescribable. From this point Captain Wilson 
was sent to Salisbury, North Carolina, and later to the famous den in Libby 
prison, at Richmond, where he was held until the city was evacuated and then 
returned to his home in Ohio. Besides a severe wound received at the battle 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL -HISTORY 167 

of Shiloh, Captain Wilson was not seriously hurt in his various fights, but he 
made many narrow escapes. 

In 1867, after his return from the army, Captain Wilson was appointed 
revenue inspector and ganger for a distillery at Findlay, and later was made 
United States storekeeper also, holding these positions until President John- 
son went out of office. He was elected city marshal of Findlay and held that 
office two years, and also served a year or so as chief of the fire department. 
His health failing about this time, he hoped to bring about an improvement by 
a trip to Arizona, but after remaining there a year returned to Findlay and oc- 
cupied himself several years in small business matters of no special import- 
ance. In 1888 he was made city infirmary director, which position he has 
retained up to the present time. In 1849 Captain Wilson was married, in 
Franklin county, Ohio, to Lucylvia C. Taylor, who died in 1899. I^^ politics 
Captain Wilson is a Democrat, and his fraternal connections are with Ma- 
sonry, in which he holds the thirty-second degree, and Stoker Post, Grand 
Army of the Republic, of which he is past commander. 

WILLIAM W. COLE, Jr. 

Any one who takes a glance at the farm in Big Lick township belong- 
ing to the subject of this sketch would scarcely need be told that it is in charge 
of a first-class farmer, as all the outward evidences indicate this. In fact 
there is no man of this age in the county who can show better results for the 
time he has spent in agricultural pursuits. Mr. Cole was born in Michigan, 
December 27, 1857, a son of John and Sarah (McCree) Cole, and was four 
years of age when his parents came to Hancock county. Here the father 
purchased eighty acres of land, upon which he settled with his family and 
there reared his sixteen children. All of these are still living and twelve 
of them are residents of Hancock county. At the present time John W. 
Cole, Sr., is living at Findlay and is seventy years of age. He was born 
in Delaware, in 1832, and removed to Michigan in early life and subse- 
quently, as previously stated, made another change to the state of Ohio. His 
wife died in 1879. 

William W. Cole, Jr., was brought up and educated in Big Lick town- 
ship. There he has made his home ever since, and there, as stated, he has 
achieved his success as a farmer. His first purchase of land was in 1887, 
when he bought forty acres, but this has been since increased by the addition 
of twenty-five more, besides a farm owned by his wife, which makes their 
total holdings one hundred and forty-five acres. 



i68 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

On the 24th of March, 1881, Mr. Cole was united in marriage to Miss 
Ellen, daughter of William and Mary Bright. They have a family of twelve 
children, ten of whom are living, as follows: Cloys M., Florence M., Ray 
C, Jessie G., Aura B., Edna M., Carl M., Mary A., Nana and Esther. Mr. 
Cole has always taken an active interest in township affairs and has held the 
position of treasurer and other minor offices. He and his wife^ as well as the 
children, are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he holds 
the position of class leader and is superintendent of the Sunday-school. In 
all the relations of life the Cole family, both the older and younger genera- 
tions, have so conducted themselves as to be accorded standing as model citi- 
zens and neighbors. 

ISAAC W. HOOPER. 

The broad and fertile fields of Hancock county have been of such strength 
in the matter of production that its citizens have possibly been more perman- 
ent than in any other section of the state. It is thus the stranger will find a 
large number of the people of the county who are direct descendants of the 
pioneers who settled the country. The pioneers were honorable in the high- 
est degree, and engrafted their life on the institutions of the county, and when 
they laid down their lives they passed to their descendants their 
many excellent traits of character. Isaac W. Hooper is a direct descendant 
of one of these pioneer families of Hancock county. He is the son of John 
and Charlotte Wiseman Hooper, the former born in Maryland, February 
17, 1800, and the latter in Virginia in 1803. Before removing to Hancock 
county they had been residents of Fairfield county, Ohio. In 1832 they 
removed to Hancock county, locating in what is now Washington township 
on the farm owned by Isaac Hooper. At that time John Hooper entered two 
hundred acres from the government for which he paid the usual price of 
one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. He passed through the usual 
trials of pioneer life, clearing his farm by degrees, and adding improvements 
such as made it an exceedingly valuable piece of property before his death. 
To the original two hundred he had added forty acres. He was a carpenter 
by trade, and worked at that business in connection with the conduct of his 
farm. In religious matters he was a firm supporter of the Methodist Epis- 
copal church, in which organization he was honored with many of the prom- 
inent offices. The family consisted of seven children, four of whom are 
now living: Isaac W., L. D., John and Alma Patterson. The father died 
December 23, 1870, and his wife August 12, 1882. 




MRS. ISAAC W. HOOPER. 




ISAAC W. HOOPER. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 169 

Isaac W. Hooper was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, January 26, 1830, 
and was therefore in his third year when he came to Hancock county. He 
was reared in the township of Washington, and received his education in 
the common schools. He became in due time a tiller of the soil on his own 
account and has been reasonably successful in this pursuit. In 1875 he pur- 
chased his present farm of one hundred and forty acres, which he devotes 
to general farming. May 12, 1861, he was married to Mary Hoffmaster, 
by whom he has had live children: Etta, born April 24, 1864; Lottie, October 
15, 1865; Lydia, deceased, born May 19, 1867; Anna, July 13, 1870; John, 
July I, 1874. Mrs. Hooper's father was John Hoffmaster and her mother 
Rachel Eidler, both natives of Germany, and early settlers in Mahoning coun- 
ty, Ohio, where she was born, reared and educated. 

It is proper to state that Mr. Isaac W. Hooper receives and merits the 
respect of his fellow citizens in the county. 

JONATHAN NELSON. 

This gentleman, now deceased, but formerly a well known citizen of 
Hancock county, was highly esteemed as a man and recognized as a farmer 
of unusual ability and progressiveness. His birth occurred in Mercer county, 
Pennsylvania, February 24, 181 6, and he showed promise of future useful- 
ness at a very early age. After the usual term in the country schools, which 
in those days were rather crude as well as scarce, young Nelson turned his 
attention to agricultural pursuits and soon mastered all the details connected 
with farm work. In fact he showed a natural aptitude for this calling, was 
resourceful as well as industrious and in a few years had acquired consid- 
erable property, besides a neat sum of ready money. In early life he had 
the good fortune to find a most excellent wife in the person of Miss Mary, 
daughter of John and Sarah Pettigrew. This lady, who was a great favorite 
in her girlhood days and developed into a woman of great strength of char- 
acter, was born in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, August 30, 1819, and dur- 
ing her long married life with Mr. Nelson she proved to him not only a loving 
and most faithful companion, but a wise and prudent advisor in all his busi- 
ness affairs. In 1854 Mr. Nelson removed with his family to Hancock county 
and purchased a farm in Cass township. This land at the time had been but 
little improved and the residence was merely a crude log building. Mr. Nel- 
son, however, brought to bear his trained talents in farming and soon pro- 
duced order out of chaos. In due course of time the land was neatly fenced, 
ornamented with all necessary structures in the shape of barns and other 
11 



I/O CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

buildings, while the soil by the skillful methods known to the trained agricul- 
turist was brought to that high state of cultivation so characteristic of the 
Ohio valley farms. Personally, Mr. Nelson became both popular and prom- 
inent. He was often called on to fill important township offices and was 
regarded throughout the county as a man of influence as well as a citizen 
without reproach. During their long and happy wedded life Mr. and Mrs. 
Nelson became the parents of fourteen children, of whom seven are still 
living, namely : William H., Hosea, Frank, Jonathan, Caroline, Catherine 
and Sarah. Six of thesfe are at present residents of Hancock county, and 
each and every one of them enjoys and deserves the proud title of good and 
loyal citizen. John Nelson, one of the elder sons, joined the army during the 
Civil war and gave up his life that the Union might be saved. He enlisted 
as a private in the Fifty-seventh Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, served 
loyally with that command and as long as his health would permit, but event- 
ually succumbed to disease at Columbus, Ohio. Among the recipients of floral 
offerings made on Decoration Day to the heroic dead who surrendered their 
young lives in the sacred cause of the Union, none better deserves a wreath 
than John Nelson. Jonathan Nelson, after a life of usefulness and free from 
blame, passed to his last long rest November 7, 1896, in his eighty-first year, 
and few departed citizens have had more sincere mourners. His venerable 
widow, who still occupies the homestead, is passing the evening of her days 
surrounded by loving descendants and those "troops of friends" and well- 
wishers who constitute the best reward of a well spent life. 

GEORGE W. ROSS. 

The life of the gentleman whose name is above given has been one of 
continued activity and marked with unusual success as a teacher, a lawyer and 
participant in politics. His standing at the Findlay bar may be measured 
by the statement that the legal firm of which Mr. Ross is a member has been 
engaged upon one side or the other of most of the important cases tried in 
the courts at Findlay during the last eight years. Mr. Ross has figured 
with equal conspicuousness as one of the Republican leaders in all recent 
campaigns and has been prominently mentioned as a candidate for Congress. 
No apology is necessary for including the biography of such a man in any 
history of Hancock county, only regret is expressed that space will not permit 
of as full a presentation as the subject deserves. 

The family is of Massachusetts origin, the founder of the Ohio branch of 
the name being Joseph Ross, who was born in the old Bay state in 1812, and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 171 

remained in the east some years after reaching maturity. In early life he 
engaged in the manufacture of thermometers and barometers in Massachu- 
setts and Connecticut, his partner in this business being the father of the 
late Samuel J. Tilden. In fact, the articles of partnership for the firm were 
drawn up by Mr. Tilden shortly after his admission to the bar, and long 
before the beginning of that political career that was destined to give him 
such celebrity. Joseph Ross was an intense Abolitionist from the very begin- 
ning of the anti-slavery agitation, did much to spread the sentiment in oppo- 
sition to this "twin relic of barbarism/' helped to organize the Republican 
party and became one of its charter as well as most devoted members. In early 
manhood he came to Ohio and settled in Wayne county, Avhere he engaged 
in farming and followed that occupation until the time of his death in 1895. 
His widow, the mother of George W. Ross, died in February, 1900, aged 
eighty-four years. 

George W. Ross, son of Joseph, was born on his father's farm in Wayne 
county, Ohio, in 1854, and remained at home until seventeen years old, when 
he was sent to the academy at Lodi, Ohio, where he remained four and a 
half years. In 1875, shortly after reaching his majority, Mr. Ross entered 
upon a career as a teacher, which proved to be extended as well as successful. 
His first term was taught in one of the country schools of Wayne county, 
after which he secured a position in the high school at Sterling, where he 
spent several years and then went to Creston in the same capacity. His va- 
cations during these six years of educational labor were spent in the study 
of law in the office of Hon. B. W. Woodward at Medina, and Johnson & 
Grave at Seville. In 1879 he was admitted to- the bar at Medina, but instead 
of entering at once into practice he devoted the following two years to work 
at his old calling in the school room. In 1880 he opened a law office at 
Sterling and practiced there with success during the following nine years. 
It was in 1889 that Mr. Ross made his first appearance at the Findlay bar, 
his first three years' business being done in partnership with his father-in- 
law, D. R. Beardsley. This partnership being dissolved in 1892, Mr. Ross 
practiced alone until 1894, when he was united with W. H. Kinder to form 
the law firm which for eight years has been a power in the profession at 
Findlay. As previously stated, they have appeared in nearly all the important 
cases litigated in the local courts and in some of great importance, involving 
large sums of money. An instance of this kind was the case of T. & W. R. 
Carnahan against twenty-three insurance companies in as many separate suits 
to recover damages upon policies aggregating seventy-five thousand dollars, 
claimed as the result of a fire occurring in April, 1893. Ross & Kinder ' 



172 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

represented the companies in this noted case, which -was finally decided in 
favor of the defendants after seven years of litigation. The only official 
position held by Mr. Ross was that of city solicitor of Findlay, in which he 
served two terms with his usual vigor and ability. His prominence in poli- 
tics is due to his recognized standing as a public speaker, aided by his readi- 
ness at all times to assist his party in its committee work and other labor de- 
volving from the heated campaigns for which Ohio is noted. Mr. Ross's 
fondness for fraternal fellowship is gratified by membership in Findlay Lodge, 
No. 400, Knights of Pythias, Elks Lodge, No. 75, and the Royal Arcanum, 
No. 187. He is a member of the Hancock County Bar Association, and of the 
Symposium Literary Society of Findlay, of which Mrs. Ross is now presi- 
dent. It is hardly necessary to add that the family enjoys entree in the best 
society of the city. 

J. Z. CHASE. 

Possibly one of the most interesting documents held by any one in this 
vicinity is that in the possession of J. Z. Chase. It is the original deed to 
one hundred and fifty-three acres of land which his grandfather, David Chase, 
received from the government and it is signed by President John Quincy 
Adams. David Chase, a native of New York state, entered this land in 
1832, about three years after his arrival. He had a son called Justus, born in 
New York state in 181 7. This son became very closely connected with the 
pioneer life of Hancock county, enduring many hardships, maintaining the 
liigh esteem of his fellow citizens and securing for himself and family a 
liberal income through hard and constant labor. He held several important 
offices, among which was that of justice of the peace. He is a member of 
the Methodist Episcopal church and adheres closely to the tenets of that 
faith. His wife was Mary A. Jones, who was born in 1822 and died June 
27, 1889. He had eleven children, of whom seven are living. Mr. Chase has 
retired from active life and has taken up his abode in Findlay. 

J. Z. Chase is the only son of his father's family who has remained in 
Hancock county. After spending some years in the district school he en- 
gaged in farming with the firm purpose of making it a profitable and success- 
ful business. In this he has succeeded well, and the farm on which he lives 
is one of which he can justly be proud. It has been his home all his life 
and he has kept up the excellent methods of his father, improved upon some 
and made his one of the best cultivated farms in this neighborhood. 

In 1880 he married Miss Minta Henry, who was born in Orange town- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY i73 

ship in 1855. He has thus hnked himself with one of the old families of 
Pennsylvania, for James and Fanny Henry, her parents, are natives of that 
state. Mr. and Mrs. J. Z, Chase are the parents of three promising chil- 
dren : Roy H., born in 1881 ; Charles L., born in 1885; and Inez, born in 
1888. 

Politically the Chases have always acted with the Republicans; frater- 
nalily J. Z. Chase affiliates with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and 
the Maccabees. 

JACOB PEPPLE. 

In his capacity of member of the board of commissioners of Hancock 
county, which important office he held for a number of years, the gentleman 
whose name heads this sketch had an opportunity to render valuable service 
to the people, while displaying sound judgment as a business man. Though 
his life's occupation had been that of a farmer, he was observant of other 
lines of work and accumulated a valuable fund of practical, everyday knowl- 
edge which can only come from actual experience. Farming, however, is a 
great educator and generally when a man has managed all the details of a 
farm for years he is a good person to entrust with the management of offices 
and other agencies which deal with the welfare of the plain people, of whom 
the tillers of the soil constitute the largest and most important portion in 
every community. 

Jacob Pepple was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, March 9, 1839. Fle 
was the son of Jesse and Mary Ann (Tipple) Pepple, and when nine years 
of age was brought to Hancock county by his parents, who took up their 
residence there in 1848. He was reared on a farm and March 24, 1861, 
married Amelia, daughter of Levi M, S. and Sarah (Alspach) Miller, a 
native of Hancock county. The children of this union, in order of birth, 
appear in the following summary: Elmer J., Franklin S., Josiah, Jacob C, 
all residents of Hancock county and engaged in farming and stock raising; 
Ellsworth remains with his parents; Sarah E. is the wife of H. Yanning; 
and Emma J. married S. P. Altman. 

In 1890 the many friends of Mr. Pepple urged him to become a candidate 
for county commissioner, which he did and in the fall of that 3'ear was elected 
to that position by a majority of five hundred. Satisfactory service was fol- 
lowed by re-election, when his majority was seven hundred, and in all he dis- 
charged the duties of commissioner of Hancock county for a period of six 
consecutive years. The fellow members of the board during Mr. Pepple's 



174 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

incumbency included some of the best known and most popular citizens of 
the county, as will be recognized by a perusal of this list : Isaac M. Watkins, 
C. W. Brooks, Christian Garber, H. B. Rader, J. D. Anderson and Benja- 
min Wineland. They disposed of much important business, requiring pains- 
taking care and good judgment to avoid mistakes, inasmuch as the expendi- 
ture of large amounts of public money was involved in numerous contracts. 
The most important of this work was the construction of iron bridges in 
various parts of the county, the macadamizing of public roads and location of 
ditches, all matters of vital interest to the people and involving large ex- 
pense. Another contract of much importance let by the board during Mr. 
Pepple's term, was that for putting steam heating and electric light equipment 
in the county court house. Heavy appropriations of the kind alluded to 
always elicit more or less criticism, but it is to the credit of Mr. Pepple to 
say that none ever aspersed either his good judgment or integrity, in con- 
nection with any matter involving the public expenditures. He was regarded 
as an unusually "level-headed" commissioner and his constituents were al;l 
pleased with the manner in which he had discharged his duties. Mr. Pepple 
resides on a neatly kept and pleasant farm five miles south of Findlay, and 
the many visitors to the cheerful household are always cordially welcomed. 
Mr. Pepple has always been a farmer and stock-raiser, is much wedded to 
agriculture and regards that as the main business of his life, other pursuits 
being only temporary and in the nature of diversions. He as well as his sons 
are regarded as representative farmers of the kind which have given Han- 
cock county such high standing among the agricultural counties of the 
state. 

JOHN M. MOORHEAD. 

Andrew Moorhead and his wife, Letitia (Bell) Moorhead, came to this 
county in 1836. Two years before Andrew had entered one hundred and 
sixty acres in Portage township, and now he set about constructing a little 
cabin in which he might make his family comfortable. For fifteen years they 
occupied the little hut of round logs and here the Indian and white man 
would gather of an evening, for Andrew was a peaceable man and lived in 
harmony with all his neighbors. Indeed he was a great man in the land, 
and often did redskin and paleface come to him for counsel, for he was wise 
in diagnosis and skillful in the treatment of disease when it affected the horse. 
The Wyandot Indians counted him their friend and trusted him implicitly. 
He lived on the trail from Findlay to their hunting grounds. He was a power- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 17S 

ful man and resolute, who, by his industry and progressive spirit changed 
the wilderness as by magic. In 185 1 he built a large and comfortable house 
and for twelve years enjoyed the returns of a well spent youth, sharing them 
with his wife and children. Then in 1863 the wife and mother died, and the 
big heart of a large man was lonely. He took unto himself a second wife, 
and she infused new joy into his life by putting into the father's arms two 
children, the outcome of their union. Andrew Moorhead died on the ist 
of April, 1885. He was a member of the Presbyterian church, and in politics 
a Republican. Eight of nine children by his first marriage are still living, 
and to these belongs the subject of this sketch. 

John M. Moorhead, who was born June 11, 1836, was only six months 
old when his parents moved from Stark to this county. Like many men 
who received their education in the little district school in early days John 
Jearned his lessons in a little log house. In those days fancy educations were 
rare luxuries, the few months of instruction, confined to the winter season, 
barely sufficed to ground the child well in fundamentals. A teacher received 
but twenty-five cents a day and when the milder weather set in he was glad 
enough to find more lucrative employment. Children in those days learned 
largely to help themselves and many of their lessons were self taught. They 
learned to work hard for what they got and the habit of industry later stood 
them in good stead when they struck out in the battle of life. 

The satisfaction of having acquired is perhaps the best recompence for 
hard labor and the conscientiousness of doing well whatever one undertakes 
is perhaps the secret of success. The listless swinging of an ax or the languid 
waiting for something to do would never have placed his name at the head 
of a pay-roll. It was the sure, strong and even stroke and his steady appli- 
cation that brought John M. Moorhead to the notice of the railroad company 
then operating in Ohio, who paid him the highest wages for construction 
work. It was but thirteen dollars a month, but that was in 1858 and money 
was worth more in those days than now. In May, 1864, Mr. Moorhead 
enlisted in Company I, One Hundred and Sixty-first Regiment, Ohio Volunteer 
Infantry, and after a service of four months was honorably discharged. He 
saw service in the valley of the Shenandoah, in Virginia. His two brothers, 
William and Josiah, served throughout the war. Mr. Moorhead is a mem- 
ber of Stoker Post, Grand Army of the Republic, at Findlay. 

In 1866, in conjunction with his brother, Mr. Moorhead bought one 
hundred and sixty acres of land, which at the end of ten years he held in 
his own name, having bought out his brother's half interest. He has devoted 
himself mainly to stock raising and it is in this branch of industry that he 



176 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPEIICAL HISTORY 

has met with his greatest material success. Through the profits on hogs and 
cattle he has been able to increase his estate to three hundred and seventy 
acres. Most of this land he cleared himself and much of it needed draining. 
He has put his land in excellent condition and his farm is one of the best 
adapted to general agricultural pursuits in this vicinity. He has lived on his 
present farm in Liberty township since 1872. The house is a large and 
beautiful brick building, with all the conveniences of a modern residence. 

In 1 86 1 Mr. Moorhead was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth J. 
Reed, by whom he had seven children: Ada R., born October 2, 1862; 
Joseph O., born December 13, 1863; Lettie M., born January 4, 1866; 
Thomas R., born February 22, 1869, and died in August, 1869; D. H., born 
June I, 1872; Merrill M., born June 15, 1873, and died in April, 1874; 
Otis E., born November 23, 1876. Mrs. Moorhead is a daughter of John 
and Rebecca Reed, and was born in this county February 6, 1839. 

Mr. Moorhead is one of the popular men of this county and a strong 
man in the Republican party. He has held several offices, serving as county 
commissioner one term, as justice of the peace two terms and as real estate 
assessor for his township. Mr. Moorhead belongs to the Presbyterian church 
and is one of the elders. 

JOHN S. SOLETHER. 

Prominent among the citizens of Hancock county who have witnessed 
the marvelous development of this section of the state in the past three-quar- 
ters of a century, and who have taken an active part in its development and 
progress, is the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch, a well-known 
and influential farmer living in a beautiful modern brick residence on a farm 
of one hundred and two acres in Washington township. Mr. Solether 
has been for long years prominently identified with the social and public life 
of Hancock county and he and his family deserve mention in a work which 
purports to mention the leading families of the county. 

Mr. Solether is a native of Germany, having been born in Wurtemburg 
in October, 1829. His father was John Solether, his mother's maiden name 
having been Dorotha Anger. These parents were also natives of Wurtem- 
burg. as had been their ancestors centuries previous. When our subject was 
but four years of age his parents removed with their family to America, where 
they located on a farm in Holmes county, Ohio. In this section of the state 
they remained but a short time, making Tuscarawas county their next stop. 
Here they were not satisfied with the conditions, and soon found their way 




/'^^^ -Jcr^^Ml^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 177 

to Stark county, where they remained for a longer period. They next re- 
moved to Wood county, Ohio, in 1840. Here Mr. Solether entered eighty 
acres of land from the government which he cleared during his lifetime, and 
on which he lived until his death in 1854. His wife, Dorotha, survived him 
a period of eight years. Mr. John Solether, Sr.. was a hard-working, honest, 
and trustworthy man. The family which he reared consisted of six children, 
two of whom were born in the fatherland. The others were girls and were 
born in Ohio. Of the whole number, but four are now living. 

Mr, John Solether, who forms the immediate subject of this review, was 
educated in the common schools of the various districts into which his par- 
ents moved, but like all young men in pioneer life his education was some- 
what neglected. He has never known anything but agriculture, a 
fact to which is probably due the very enviable position which he 
occupies among the farmers of Hancock county. He is one of those who 
have made a success of tilling the soil. He made his first purchase 
of real estate in 1854, at which time he bought out the heirs to his father's 
property. It consisted of eighty acres of timber land in Wood county, and 
to this tract he added forty acres more. This land he cleared and at one time 
or another added various improvements. He sold out in 1882, and purchased 
his .present farm, which in general appearance cannot be surpassed in the 
county. His home is a magnificent brick of modern construction. Indeed, 
everything on and around the premises shows the guiding hand of the mas- 
ter of agriculture. Mr. Solether has twice entered the state of matrimony, 
first choosing as a companion Miss A.nna M. Drayer. The union occurred in 
1858, and by her one child was bom, now deceased. The young wife died 
about a year after her marriage, and in a year and a half later Mr. Solether 
married Miss Caroline, a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Miller. This union 
resulted in the birth of two sons, William A., and Ira D. Their mother died in 
1885, having proved to her husband a faithful companion and helpmeet on 
life's journey, and it is but proper to say that her sound advice and assistance 
were important factors in her husband's prosperity. She is remembered as 
a lady of sterling excellence of character. William, the eldest son, after 
reaching manhood, was united to Sophia Rhodes and they have one child, 
Albert. Ira D. married Etta Mohler, in 1895, and three children have come 
to bless their home: Edgar, born April 8, 1896; Robert, born October 21, 
1898, and another son, born June 21, 1902. The mother of these children 
was born in 1872 in Hancock county, and comes of one of the early and most 
honorable families in the county. John Solether is a member of the United 
Brethren church, and while he has never craved office, he believes in everv 



178 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

man sacrificing his own personal comfort to the good of the community, and 
during his hfetime has served in many of the unpaid offices of the township. 
His services as trustee have been characterized by much efficiency. It is our 
duty to mark our appreciation of such a man, who is true to every relation 
in life, faithful to every trust, diligent in the service of his country, and serv- 
ing only the public good. In the evening of life Mr. Solether can look back 
over the past without regret and forward to the future without fear. 

EVAN DORSEY STEVENSON. 

Evan Dorsey Stevenson, one of Jackson township's most progressive 
and successful agriculturists, was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on the i8th 
of October, 1835, ^I'^d the same year was brought to Ohio by his parents, 
Abalard and Matilda (Lawrence) Stevenson, who were also natives of 
Maryland. Although reared upon a farm the father turned his attention to 
commercial pursuits in early life and became a wholesale merchant of Balti- 
more, where he was engaged in business until coming to this state. He set- 
tled upon a farm of one hundred and sixty acres near Fredericktown, in 
Knox county, just one mile and a half west of that city, and there engaged 
in stock raising throughout the remainder of his life. In politics he was 
an old line Whig. He died in 1859, at the age of sixty-two, having survived 
his wife about fifteen years. 

Mr. Stevenson of this review remained with his parents until twenty- 
two years of age, receiving a good practical education in the schools of Fred- 
ericktown, and acquiring a knowledge of agricultural pursuits upon the home 
farm. . On attaining his majority he went to Illinois, where he engaged in 
teaching school for a short time, and on his return home resumed his studies 
in Fredericktown. Subsequently he again went to Illinois, where he worked 
for about a year, but on the death of his father returned home to assist in 
settling up the estate. 

It was in 1856 that Mr. Stevenson first came to Hancock county, but in 
traveling along the big swamp from Carey he was not agreeably impressed 
with the outlook here. In October, 1859, however, he became a resident of 
this county, where his father had owned one hundred and tw^enty acres of 
land, which tract became the property of our subject, who bought out the 
other heirs. At that time forty-five acres of the highest ground had been 
partially cleared, but much of the remainder was under water and the only 
building upon the place was a log house. The following year Mr. Stevenson 
dug a ditch which was three feet deep and six feet wide at the top and three 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY i79 

at the bottom, and as this drained off considerable water he felt more en- 
couraged. This was the first ditch in the township and was the beginning of 
systematic drainage here. About 1865 our subject laid the first tiling in the 
township, buying the first kiln of tile burned by John Carst, west of Findlay, 
who agreed to lose one-half the cost of it if it did not prove satisfactory. 
About eighty rods were laid at this time and covered up. Many of Mr. 
Stevenson's neighbors came to see the operation but claimed that the water 
would never get into it. One old settler told our subject it was useless to bury 
his money, and his father-in-law, Henry Cooper, told him it was all non- 
sense. The following fall Mr. Stevenson sold his field of corn to Mr. Cooper 
for twenty-five dollars per acre in the stack, thus proving the success of the 
undertaking. At once others began laying tile, until to-day the county is 
well tiled and drained. Mr. Stevenson bought forty acres more, making a 
fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres, all of which he tiled and placed 
under cultivation, having cleared about sixty acres of the amount himself. He 
also secured a separate tract of thirty acres, but has since sold eighty acres 
to his son, so that he now has one hundred and ten acres in two different 
tracts. His residence was erected in 1866, but it has since been remodeled 
and improved, making a most comfortable home, which is surrounded by 
good outbuildings that stand as monuments to his thrift and enterprise. In 
order to clear his land he burned much of the timber, which, if it had been 
marketed, would have paid for his land. Throughout his active business 
career Mr. Stevenson has devoted his attention entirely to his agricultural 
pursuits, never allowing himself to become interested in new enterprises, 
and to-day there is no better farm in the vicinity than his. He keeps a good 
grade of stock, making a specialty of thoroughbred sheep, and was the first 
to introduce American merino sheep into the county. These he has sold at 
fancy prices and made considerable money therefrom. 

On the 28th of June, 1859, Mr. Stevenson was united in marriage to 
Miss Sarah Cooper, daughter of Henry Cooper, who lived in the vicinity 
of our subject's home. Her father was one of the pioneers of the county, 
where he cleared and improved a farm of one hundred and sixty acres and 
became a well known farmer and stock man. He died at the age of sixty- 
two years. In his family were fifteen children, all of whom reached ma- 
turity and thirteen are still living, but Mrs. Stevenson is the only one resid- 
ing in Hancock county at the present time. She was born here and is five 
years her husband's junior. They have a family of five children, namely : 
Henry, who is now engaged in farming on a place adjoining his father's; 
Lawrence, a resident of Mount Blanchard; Clara, the wife of Louis Hart-- 



i8o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

man, of Jackson township; Evan, who is operating his father's farm; and 
Addie, now Mrs. Harry Greer, of Mount Blanchard, Ohio. 

By his ballot Mr. Stevenson supports the men and measures of the Re- 
publican party, and formerly took quite an active part in local politics. He 
has served as township assessor and trustee, being elected to those offices in 
a Democratic township, which is an indication of his popularity and the 
high regard in which he is held by his fellow citizens. Religiously he is a 
member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Houcktown, in which he has 
filled various offices. He belongs to the Odd Fellows Lodge at Van Lue and 
has passed all the chairs in the subordinate lodge, and both he and his wife 
have taken the Rebecca degrees. They stand high in the community where 
they have so long made their home, and enjoy the hospitality of many of 
the best people in their section of the county. 

MICHAEL LECHNER. 

The subject of this sketch, whose name is above given, is one of the 
young man whose push and energy have led to the development of the great 
oil industry in various states, resulting in such rapid growth of communities 
and such frequent accumulations of individual fortunes. Though he has not 
"struck it rich" as some others, Mr. Lechner has done well at the business 
and in its prosecution has exhibited good judgment as well as energy and 
enterprise. He is of German origin, his father, Michael Lechner, having 
been born in the domains of Emperor William, in 1827, but he emigrated 
in early manhood to the land of promise in the new world. He located in 
Clarion county, Pennsylvania, but lived at various places after his arrival for 
periods ranging from two to twelve years. It was while his parents were 
living at Brooklyn, in Clarion county, Pennsylvania, in 1861, that Michael 
Lechner was born, and during the next twenty years he accompanied the 
family in their wanderings. His first two years were spent at the place of 
his nativity, the following six years at Sligo Furnace, and the next twelve 
years on a farm in the same county. During this period he picked up some 
education by irregular attendance at the county schools, and when he reached 
his majority began looking around for "something to do." His first venture 
was made in the oil fields of Allegany county. New York, where he entered 
a blacksmith shop at Allentown and worked in the blast furnace for the four 
succeeding years. Observing that there was an opportunity to make good 
wages by dressing tools used in boring oil wells, a kind of work then in much 
demand, he spent six years at this occupation with fair results. His next 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY i8i 

work was as a driller of wells, and he adhered to this laborious employment 
for about seven years, after which he concluded to utilize the experience he 
had obtained in a more lucrative branch of the oil business. In 1886 Mr. 
Lechner came to Ohio, located at Findlay, and immediately engaged in con- 
tracting, later becoming an oil producer on his own account. This business 
^he has kept up continuously since then and has met with a fair share of success 
in that line of industry. 

January 26, 1897, Mr. Lechner was united in marriage at Detroit, Michi- 
gan, with Miss Malinda, daughter of Henry Croback of that city. Mr. 
Lechner is an advocate of the principles of the Democratic party and a mem- 
ber of the Roman Catholic church. 

LEMUEL McMANNESS. 

During his forty years of identification with the business interests of 
Findlay, the gentleman above mentioned has been a conspicuous figure in 
the various walks of life. Though at present absorbed in the management 
of his rake factory and stone quarry, he has in his time "played many parts" 
and it is not flattery to say that he has played them all worthily and well. 
His business experiences range from clerking in a grocery store to manage- 
ment of important productive plants, and his office-holding career embraces 
service both as city clerk of Findlay and sheriff of Hancock county. This 
was flavored by abundant war experience in youth, during which, as incum- 
bent in various responsible clerical positions, he was introduced to the mys- 
teries of feeding and managing a big army. 

The family of McManness, which is of Irish origin, was first repre- 
sented in America by James McManness, who came over during the latter 
part of the eighteenth century, and died in Pennsylvania about 1820. He 
left a son named John McManness, who was born in Berks county, Penn- 
sylvania, in 1808, came to Hancock county, Ohio, in 1856, and there fol- 
lowed cabinet-making until his death, on January i, 1866. 

Lemuel McManness, son of the last mentioned, was born in Plainfield, 
Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, in 1846, and consequently was ten years 
old when brought to Hancock county by his parents. The latter located at 
Findlay and there Lemuel was attending school when the Civil war storm dis- 
turbed all ordinary occupations. In January, 1862, he secured a place as 
clerk in the sutler's department of the Fifty-seventh Regiment, Ohio Volun- 
teer Infantry, and served in that capacity about eighteent months. Being then 
appointed clerk in the of^ce of the quartermaster of the army of the Cum- 



1 82 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

berlancl, he retained that position a year and next entered the office of the 
medical purveyor, at that time located on Lookout Mountain. He continued 
with the purveyor's department about one year and a half, or until the close 
of the war, when he returned directly to his home at Findlay. He succeeded 
without difficulty in securing a clerkship in a grocery store and worked for 
his employer until 1870, when he made his first business venture on his own 
account by establishing a rival grocery store. This he conducted with more 
or less success for thirteen years, until he disposed of his stock and embarked in 
the manufacture of linseed oil, which at that time was a new industry at Findlay. 
From 1889 until November, 1891, he was engaged in the flouring mill busi- 
ness, having purchased the interest of Judson Palmer in the Findlay mill. 
This mill was destroyed by fire in November, 1891. About the same time 
he started a rake factory and between these various employments was kept 
busy until 1891, when he disposed of his oil interests, and in 1895 returned 
to the grocery business. In 1898 he became interested in a stone quarry, a 
year later retired from the grocery business and since then has devoted all 
his time to the quarry and the rake factory. These establishments are im- 
portant contributions to the industries of Findlay, as they employ a number 
of hands and the sale of the products is an item of consequence in the gen- 
eral commerce of the city. Mr. McManness has found time during his busy 
career to pay some attention to politics, in which he has figured conspicuously 
on the Republican side. His fellow partisans gave him the nomination for 
city clerk in 1870 and after a spirited race he was elected. At the expiration 
of his first term, having served satisfactorily, he was again put forward and 
endorsed by re-election. This excursion into city politics was followed by a 
more ambitious effort in the general field, embracing the whole of the county 
and in this enlarged sphere Mr. McManness was followed by his usual good 
fortune. In 1884 he was nominated as his party's candidate for sheriff of 
Hancock county, made a successful race and served in that office a full term 
of two years. 

December 16, 1875, Mr. McManness was married at Findlay, to Amanda 
E. Kimmons, by whom he has two children : Katie and Frank. While the 
foregoing outline will give some notion of Mr. McManness's busy life and 
his contributions _ to the industrial growth of his community, it is no more 
than his due to add a word or two of general commendation. It is a com- 
mon remark at Findlay that he is the best known man in Hancock county, an 
acquaintance which naturally has grown out of his long residence and promi- 
nent connections both with business and politics. But what is more to the 
purpose is the fact that Mr. McManness, in spite of the friction inseparable 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY • 183 

from party politics and the rivalry of business, has shown singular tact in 
avoiding enmities and securing friendships, with the result that while the 
best known he is also one of the best liked men in the county. 

HENRY E. WITMORE. 

In this sketch we shall deal with several persons, for the Witmores are 
not only interesting in themselves but they are connected with some of the 
leading families in the county. 

Rev. Jonathan Witmore was born near Emmetsburg, Maryland, in 1810. 
He was a shoemaker by trade, well versed in the Scriptures, a thorough 
German scholar and a profound thinker. The truth, as he saw it through the 
faith of the Dunkard church, inspired him. He put aside the last and awl 
to tell his fellow men what he believed, and the conviction made him elo- 
quent. He was a plain man of mental and bodily strength and spoke to plain 
people in a language that they could understand. He was an enthusiastic, 
active man, putting his principles into practice and living a useful life. The 
Rev. Mr. Witmore married three times. His first wife was a Miss Shatzer, 
by whom he had two children, one only growing to maturity. His second 
wife was Kate Coover, born near Monroe Falls, Pennsylvania, in 181 3. She 
was the mother of eight of his children; six of the number are now living, 
among them Henry E. Witmore. The family was then living in Wood 
county, this state, where the father and husband bought at different times 
parcels of land — either forty or eighty acres in size — as chance directed. 
Mrs. Kate (Coover) Witmore died May 14, 1851. The third wife was 
Susan Smith, by whom he was the father of four children, all still living. Rev. 
Jonathan Witmore died July i, 1880. He was of Irish and Dutch descent. 

Captain Henry Witmore, brother of the preacher, was born in 1798, and 
served in the war of 181 2, though only a boy at the time. His life was filled 
with excitement and adventure. He became one of the fiercest Indian hunters 
of the day and it was he who captured Robert Lewis. The Captain was a 
man of fine physique and great power. He was six feet two, and of sym- 
metrical build. He lived for many years in Pennsylvania and as sheriff of 
Adams county was considered one of the best men ever put into that office. 
His property was part of the battlefield at Gettysburg. 

Henry E. Witmore, son of the preacher and nephew of the captain, 
was born near Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, October 16, 1842. In 1850, 
at the age of eight, the family came to Wood county, Ohio, and Henry con- 
sidered that his home until after the close of the Civil war, when he moved 



1 84 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

to Hancock county, where he now hves one a hundred and ten acres of fine 
farmmg land in Liberty township. There are twelve oil wells on this land, 
all flowing and bringing in a handsome revenue. Besides these possessions 
Mr. Witmore owns two hundred and sixty-three acres in Pleasant township 
and a four thousand dollar property in McComb. 

December 29, 1870, he married Miss Etna I. Reed, who died March 
22, 1892. Of this union were born two daughters: Eldora (deceased), on 
May 27, 1872; Alta M., on April 22, 1874, who has become the wife of 
Waldo Morehead. November 10, 1896, Mr. Witmore married again. This 
time he chose as wife Nancy Brown, who was born in Williams county, Ohio, 
in 1853. She was the daughter of Jacob and Catherine Brown, the former 
born in Wayne county, Ohio, in 181 5; and the latter in 181 6 in Wittenberg, 
Germany, where she remained until twelve years of age. 

She came to America in 1828 and married Jacob Brown, September 10, 
1837. Nine children were born to them, of whom three have passed away. 
One of the latter was killed in the battle of Atlanta, Georgia, while serv- 
ing as a member of the Thirty-eighth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. 
Jacob Brown lived for ten years on a farm of his own near Fostoria. Mr. 
and Mrs. Witmore are members of the German Baptist church and the 
former is one of the trustees. In his younger years he had learned the car- 
penter's trade, and it was this that enabled him to enroll as member of the 
bridge building corps in the army of the Cumberland. As foreman of his 
gang, he came near meeting with death, and had many narrow escapes from 
the enemy. Once a bullet grazed his upper lip and another went through 
his hat. At the end of nine months' service he was honorably discharged, 
and returned to the quiet life of the farm. Mr. Witmore is still active, looking 
after his extensive interests and enjoying the good will and confidence of 
all who know him. 

FRANCIS WILBER FIRMIN, M. D. 

The gentleman above named, whose career it is the intention here to 
briefly outline, is at present the oldest practicing physician in point of years 
at Findlay. With the exception of the absence made necessary by his service 
as a soldier during the great Civil war, Dr. Firmin has been a constant resi- 
dent of the city for the last forty years, and during that time has been con- 
spicuous both in its social and business life, aside from his labors in the line 
of his profession. His connection with the various medical societies and fra- 
ternal organizations, including those devoted exclusively to the veterans of 





m^^^n^^^-^^ ^. Ay! 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 185 

the Civil war, has brought him in contact with many persons in all the walks 
of life and few men are better known throughout his section of the state. 
The Firmin family boasts of a lineage both ancient and honorable, and 
traces its genealogy back to the distant period nearly a thousand years ago 
when William the Concjueror crossed the English channel and overthrew the 
liberties of the native people by the defeat of Harold, the last of the Saxon 
kings. With this conquering host, whose advent was destined to change the 
whole course of history, came Sir Solomon de Firmin, founder of the family 
of that name subsequently well known both in England and America. John 
Firmin, one of his descendants, was a member of that famous band which 
left England in the early part of the seventeenth century to escape religious 
persecution and founded the Puritan commonwealth in the western world. 
He was born at Ipswich, England, and had reached early manhood before 
making his adventurous voyage in 1630 to the shores of Massachusetts; in 
which colony he settled and became the progenitor of the American branch 
of the name. In after years descendants of this original emigrant found their 
way to various states of the Union, among them being the father of Dr. 
Firmin, who came to Ohio in the second quarter of the nineteenth century, 
and located in Summit county. * In Richfield, one of the towns of that county, 
his son, Francis Wilber Firmin, was born July 15, 1842, and when only two 
years old was taken by his parents to Springfield, Massachusetts. After a 
residence there of about one year, the family removed to South Hadley Falls, 
Massachusett, where they remained until 1850, and then went to South Wil- 
braham, in the same state. At that place Francis Firmin spent his boyhood, 
receiving his preliminary education in the common schools, came to Findlay 
May 9, 1862, and in the fall of the same year entered Oberlin College, where 
he continued his studies until the following July. At that period college cir- 
cles, as well as every other branch of society, were profoundly stirred by the 
events then in progress and young Firmin shared fully the prevailing enthu- 
siasm for the Union cause. Determined to join the hosts battling for the coun- 
try, he went to Cleveland and enlisted in Company E, One Hundred and 
Twenty-ninth regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served 
until honorably discharged on the loth of March, 1864. Returning to Find- 
lay immediately thereafter, he took up the study of medicine in the office of 
his uncle. Dr. Lorenzo Firmin, with whom he remained until his entrance 
into the Western Reserve College at Cleveland, in the medical department 
of which institution he received his degree February 18, 1867. As soon as he 
obtained his diploma. Dr. Firmin opened an office at Findlay, and his con- 
tinuance from that time on has made him the dean of his profession by reason 



1 86 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

of being the city's oldest physician in years of practice. As a member of the 
American Medical Association, the Ohio State Medical Society, the North- 
western Ohio Medical Society, and the Medical Society of Hancock county, 
Dr. Firmin is well known in his profession, not only over northern Ohio, 
but in other parts of the country. His activities, however, have not been 
confined exclusively to his own especial calling, but he has devoted a consider- 
able time to public duties, serving four years as member of the city council, 
and seven years on the board of education. Dr. Firmin has been especially 
active and conspicuous in Masonry, with which ancient and honorable order 
he has been connected for more than thirty years, in 1868 he was made a 
Master Mason in Findlay Lodge No. 227; in 1871 he became a member of 
Findlay Chapter, No. 58; and in 1880 he was initiated as a Knight Templar 
in Shawnee Commandery No. 9. In 1890 he was created a Scottish Rite 
Mason at Cleveland and in 1897 became a member of the Mystic Shrine at 
Dayton, Ohio. For several years he has served as worshipful master of Find- 
lay Lodge, No. 227, and was eminent commander of Findlay Commandery, 
No. 49, at the time of its organization, serving as such until December, 1891. 
Dr. Firmin is also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and 
of the Grand Army of the Republic. In 1872 he was appointed examining 
surgeon for pensions for Hancock county and with the exception of eight 
years, during the administrations of Grover Cleveland, has served contin- 
uously in that office, being at present president of the board. 

In politics. Dr. Firmin is an earnest supporter of the principles of the 
Republican party, and has several times been elected as one of its representa- 
tives in the common council of Findlay. 

May 6, 1869, Dr. Firmin was united in marriage with Miss Mary L. D., 
daughter of Rev. John A. Meeks, and as the result of this union there are 
four living children: Scott, Dr. John M., Frank Bope and Carl Giles. It 
is but proper to add that during his long, active and useful career at Findlay 
Dr. Firmin has made many friends and enjoys, as well as deserves, their es- 
teem and confidence. 

COLLIN D. HAYWARD. 

Collin D. Hayward is a representative of the commercial interests of 
Findlay, where he is engaged in dealing in lumber and coal, his operations 
in that direction being of a character that have won him a good patronage. 
Mr. Hayward is a native of Ohio, his birth having occurred in Conneaut, in 
the year 1859. His father, Samuel Hayward, was born in St. Lawrence 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 187 

county, New York, in the year 1826 and removed westward, establishing his 
home in Conneaut, where he resided for many years, as one of the most 
prominent and influential members of that community. Through a long 
period he was actively engaged in the banking business and was also a leader 
in political circles and was called to represent his district in the state legisla- 
ture. He died in the year 1885, when about fifty-nine years of age, respected 
by all who knew him. 

In the place of his nativity Collin D. Hayward was reared and edu- 
cated and there remained until he was twenty years of age, at which time 
tmie he removed to Chicago, Illinois, where he continued for two years. 
During that time he was in the wholesale house of Marshall Field & Company. 
On the expiration of that period he came to Findlay, Ohio, in 1885 and here 
established a lumber yard, which he has since conducted. He carries a large 
line of lumber and building materials and also deals in coal, and his patronage 
has constantly and steadily increased as the years have gone by, so that he has 
prospered in his business undertakings and is regarded as one of the suc- 
cessful men of the place. Fraternally he is a valued representative of the Odd 
Fellows society, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Hoo- 
Hoos. He exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures 
of the Republican party, and while he believes firmly in its principles, he has 
never sought or desired office, preferring to give his entire attention to his 
business affairs, whereby he has won creditable success. 

JAMES KELLEY. 

The value of character is exemplified in every walk of life, no less fre- 
quently in the career of the farmer in a rural community than in that of a 
financier or professional man who makes his mark in the city. No where 
is sterling character more markedly in evidence nor in a broader sense a 
legacy of the people than in the busy and important farming regions of the 
middle west. There the sturdy character of the American farmer is as highly 
developed as anywhere in the United States. One of the best known repre- 
sentatives of this brand of Americanism in Hancock county is the promi- 
nent and prosperous citizen whose name supplies the title for this sketch. 

James Kelley is one of the largest land owners in the county, the farm 
which he operates being a five hundred acre tract situated in Washington 
township, Hancock county, and part of it in Wood county. He is a practical 
farmer, as his environments indicate, and it is very evident by the appearance 
of things that he shapes and controls his environments. Mr. Kelley was born 



188 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

in Wayne county, Ohio, January i8, 1831. He is a son of Zekiel and Rachel 
(South) Kelley. These parents were natives of the same county of Wayne, 
were married there, and were prominent representatives of the agricultural 
class in that county during much of their lives. They removed to the newer 
county of Hancock in 1834, where they located in Washington township. 
Here they purchased eighty acres of Jand, and passed the rest of their ex- 
istence in the severe labor of carving a farm out of the primitive forests, a 
labor to which the younger generation are absolute strangers. Zekiel Kelley 
was a man of determined will, of great industry, of excellent business judg- 
ment. These qualities combined to make him a man of wealth and influ- 
ence in the latter part of his life, and he was extensively and intimately con- 
nected with the growth and development of the county. He was a large 
owner of real estate, and during his lifetime, much of the best real estate of 
the county at one time or another passed through his hands. He also engaged in 
banking to a considerable extent. In those days pioneers needed money. 
Those needs were supplied by Mr. Kelley. He was a shrewd, far seeing, but 
honest and honorable business man. He was prominently identified with the 
public interests of the county, was a strong supporter of the principles of the 
Democratic party, and was a firm believer in the tenets of the Baptist church. 
His birth occurred in 1793, and he died in 1880. His wife, Rachel Kelley, 
was born a year later, and outlived him by eleven years, dying at the remark- 
able age of ninety-six years. Their family consisted of eight children, one of 
whom, Sarah, was born in this county. The rest of the family were natives 
of Wayne county, Ohio. Of this number five are living. James and one 
sister are the only residents of the county. 

James Kelley passed his boyhood on the farm, early becoming familiar 
with the labors of the field and meadow. He received what little education 
was current at that day in the district schools of Wood county, to which his 
parents move^T when he was quite young. He remained a resident of Wood 
county up to 1855, at which time he purchased his present farm of his fa- 
ther, where he has resided as a successful farmer and loyal citizen up to 
the present time. In the year 1854 he took unto himself a life companion 
in the person of Emily M., the daughter of Reuben and Marian Bement, and by 
this union eight children have been born: Antoinett M., deceased; Dora R., 
deceased; Mary, deceased; Arthur B. ; Albert A.; Ida M. ; James and Frank. 
The eldest son, Arthur B., was united in marriage to Amanda Dicken. Albert 
A. married Josephine Lauterby. James led to the altar Lydia Fink, while 
Frank, the younger son, wooed and won Cora B. Balmer. The daughter, Ida 
M., was happily married to Charles Ernest, elsewhere represented in this 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 189 

volume. The family of Mrs. Kelley were early pioneers of Portage county, 
Ohio, where she was born in 1827. The Kelley family, from their settle- 
ment in the county up to the present time, have been leading spirits in agri- 
cultural pursuits, and influential in the social and public life of the county. 
They are people who merit and receive the good wishes of a large clientele 
of friends. Mr. Kelley is one of the most successful farmers of Hancock 
county and owns its model fanii. His house and barns are complete in every 
respect and fine examples of agricultural architecture. The barn is supplied 
with stalls and hot and cold water for all kinds of stock. He himself is 
the planner of this model barn, which is superior to anything of its kind in the 
county. All his buildings contain slate roofs and every convenience that 
ingenuity can suggest. He is a Democrat in politics, but not a member of 
any church nor any of the secret societies, though at one time he held mem- 
bership in some of the latter. 

JOHN W. SHOE. 

This honorable and worthy citizen of Hancock county is an extensive 
fruit grower residing near the city of Fostoria, in Washington township. He 
was born September 17, 1839, in Montgomery township. Wood county, Ohio. 
His father was Fred Shoe, and his mother's maiden name was Elizabeth 
Kaiser. These parents were both natives of Stark county, Ohio, and were 
of Dutch descent. They grew to maturity in their native county, and after 
their marriage about 1835 removed to Wood county. Here the husband 
entered about eighty acres of government land, which he cleared and on which 
he made many ample and substantial improvements. He still lives at an ad- 
vanced age, but sold his original farm and now resides in Michigan. His wife 
died about 1877. Their family consisted of fifteen children and of this number 
nine are living. 

John W. Shoe passed his boyhood on the home farm, and no event 
of any importance occurred during his early life to vary the usual routine. 
He remained dutifully at home during his minority, and gave his best efforts 
to the support of the family. In 1856 he came to Hancock county and en- 
gaged in farming for Joseph Beninger, remaining here up to 1861. When 
the war cloud gathered over the nation, feeling that his duty was to his 
country, he left the plow and took up the rifle. He enrolled as a member of 
Company E, Forty-ninth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served 
with this command continuously until January, 1865. He was in all the 
battles in which the regiment participated until his capture by the enemy at 



I90 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

the battle of Stone River, December 31, 1862. From that date until May, 
1863, he experienced all the horrors of prison life in that noted institution 
known as Libby Prison. On returning to his command he was promoted to 
principal musician, and was detailed as regimental clerk, which office he 
held up to the close of the war in 1865. He received his discharge on No- 
vember 30, at Victoria, Texas. He returned home glad that the war was 
over, and conscious of the fact that he had nobly done his duty to the country 
which he loved. On his return to civil life Mr. Shoe began a connection 
with the dry-goods business, in which he occupied himself for the next 
thirty years. In 1896 he purchased his present beautiful home, where he is 
now enjoying the fruits of his former activity. His marriage was celebrated 
in 1869, the lady being Miss Sara, daughter of Abraham and Elizabeth Over- 
holt. By this marriage there were no children. Mrs. Shoe was born on the 
15th of April, 1849. Mr. and Mrs. Shoe are prominent members of the 
society of Hancock county. He takes an active part in the local public life 
of his township, having served for two years as treasurer. He and Mrs. 
Shoe are both very earnest supporters of the United Brethren church, Mr. 
Shoe being especially active in support and attendance upon the Sunday- 
school, with which he has been connected since 1866. Indeed he has made the 
rather remarkable record during that time of having attended on an average 
fifty-one Sundays each year. Mr. Shoe also takes delight in furthering the 
interests of the G. A. R., and is a member of Norris Post, No. 27, being at 
the present time a trustee. 

JAMES SHEA. 

The appearance of the above name naturally suggests old Ireland, as it is 
seldom borne by any except natives of that interesting and historically fa- 
mous country. Few names are better know^n there than that of Shea, and it 
has been made familiar abroad as well as at home, by the worthy sons who 
have carried it with credit to every known land. It is associated with geniality 
and joviality, with wit and humor, with adaptability to all kinds of service and 
a remarkable aptitude of its owners for taking care of themselves under any 
kind of circumstances. Another soubricjuet also not infrequently applied 
to them is that of the "fighting Sheas," which would leave the inference that 
in times of emergency these particular sons of Erin could be depended upon 
to hit hard blows for the cause they espoused. 

James Shea, whose name suggested the foregoing preliminary reniarks, 
has only been in America twenty-two years, during which time he has lived 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 191 

in many places, but it is safe to say that wherever he went he left friends 
and well-wishers behind him, and that no coninuinity was the worse for his 
sojourn therein. He was born in Cnnntv Carlow, Ireland, in 1861, and left 
his native land for the shores of America when nineteen years old. When 
he reached the port of New York in 1880 he had "the whole world before 
him to choose from." He reached the Buckeye state and located first at the 
town of Delaware. The prospects there were not inviting, and a year and a 
half later found our courageous young man "trying his luck'' at Sidney in 
the same state. At this point he wisely determined to learn a trade and 
selected that of stone-cutting, the details of which were mastered in due 
time and with this additional equipment Mr. Shea moved on four years later 
to Cincinnati. There he secured employment in a marble shop, which lasted 
ior two years, after which he worked as a journeyman for a short period at 
Knoxville, Tennessee, and Mansfield, Ohio. The last two engagements con- 
sumed about tw^o years, and in 1892 Mr. Shea found a permanent abode at 
Findlay, where he has ever since remained. In this thriving county seat he 
opened his marble works establishment and from that time on has been kept 
busy at his calling, usually finding all the work he can do. 

In 1895 Mr. Shea was united in the bonds of wedlock with Miss Bridget 
E. Hanfin, a worthy young lady of Sidney, Ohio, and their home has been 
brightened by the birth of one son, whom they have christened Walter J. 
Mr. Shea is a devout member of the Roman Catholic church, and in politics 
supports the ticket of the Democratic party. His place of business is at 136 
North Main street. 

HENRY HEISTAND. 

There have been few residents in this portion of Ohio who have en- 
joyed to a greater degree the esteem and friendship of a larger circle of 
acquaintances than Henry Heistand, now deceased. He was a man of sterling 
worth, of genial disposition and unfailing courtesy, and these qualities ren- 
dered him popular, while his sterling character enabled him to retain friend- 
ship when it was gained. He was among the pioneer settlers of Hancock 
county, having removed here as early as 1830. His father, Jacob Heistand, 
entered three hundred and twenty acres of land from the government, 
before his decease occurred in 1853, at which time his real estate fell to 
Henry by the payment of a specified sum to each of the heirs, and the 
conditions of which were embodied in Jacob's will. Jacob's wife 
was named Elizabeth. Henry Heistand grew to manhood in this county, 



192 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

and married Susanna Welch, both of them being natives of the Key- 
stone state. Their marriage occurred in 1843, and their family numbered 
ten children, eight of whom grew to maturity. Of the seven now living four 
are residents of Hancock county, namely : — Harriet ; Morris O. ; Charles B. ; 
and Jeremiah. Henry Heistand was a man of true worth and of wide influ- 
ence. He was a consistent and active member of the Lutheran church, in 
which he was highly esteemed, and was honored with one of its oftices. Po- 
litically he was a follower of Jefferson, and at one time served his township 
as treasurer. He died in March, 1878, his wife having passed away in 1872. 
Mrs. Harriet H. Measel, daughter of Henry and Susanna Heistand, was 
born on the old homestead in 1845. She received a liberal education, and was 
excellently fitted for a life of usefulness. In September, 1868, she was happily 
united in marriage to Fernando Measel, the union being blessed with chil- 
dren as follows : Margaret L. ; Minion B. ; and Martin H. Mr. Measel was 
a native of Seneca county, Ohio, where he was born in 1841. The following 
year his parents removed to Hancock county. He was reared and educated 
in this county, and during his lifetime was an extensive stock raiser and ship- 
per. The farm on which he resided contained one hundred and seventy-five 
acres. He was a man well and honorably known in the county, and held the 
esteem of a large number of friends. At the time of the Civil war, he was 
found among "The Boys in Blue" who went forth to battle for the Union. 
He enrolled in Company G, One Hundred and Eighteenth Regiment, Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry, in which command he served until the close of hostilities. 
He served in all the battles in which his regiment engaged with distinguished 
valor, and was honorably discharged in 1865 as corporal of his company. He 
was a true friend, a good neighbor, a worthy and loyal citizen, a kind husband, 
and an indulgent father. In 1877 he caused to be erected a magnificent home, 
which stands now as a monument to his mem.ory. His decease occurred 
in July, 1 88 1, by which event the public lost a worthy man, his family a dear 
and loved father and husband. Mrs. Measel has a brother and two sisters not 
heretofore mentioned in this sketch. Mary E. is the wife of John Purkey, of 
Bloomdale, Wood county, Ohio; Sarah A. is the widow of Noah Bish, a 
resident of Fostoria, Ohio, and William is a resident of Lorain, Ohio. 

SQUIRE CARLIN. 

Hancock county has been the home and scene of labor of man}^ men 
who have not only led lives that should serve as an inspiration to those who 
come after them but have also been of important service to their country 




MRS. DELIA B. G. CARLIH, 




SQUIRE CARLIN. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY i93 

and state through various avenues of usefuhiess. Among them must be 
named the honored pioneer, Squire CarHn, who located here in 1826 and for 
many years was prominently identified with the growth and development of 
his adopted county. 

Mr. Carlin was born near Auburn, New York, on the 25th of Decem- 
ber, 1801, and was the oldest son and second child in a family of seven chil- 
dren. In the winter of 1806-7, when he was but five years old, the family 
left the Empire state and traveled westward to Erie, Pennsylvania, where 
they remained a few months. Late in the spring of 1807 they boarded a sail- 
ing vessel and proceeded by lake to the mouth of the Huron river, settling 
on the south shore of Lake Erie, a short distance west of the place of landing. 
The Carlins were the second white family to locate in Huron county, Ohio, 
but remained there only one year, when they removed to the river Raisin, 
settling on the opposite side of the river from Frenchtown, about two and 
one-half mile east of the site of Monroe, Michigan, where they lived until 
the summer of 1809. They next located on the site of Maumee City, now 
in Lucas county, Ohio, where the father continued peacefully tilling the soil 
until after Hull's surrender in August, 1812, when the report coming of hostile 
Indians caused them to flee southward over Hull's trail. Our subject's 
mother, with her children, mounted on two horses and carrying provisions 
for the journey and a few household articles, accompanied a band of refugees 
to Urbana, while her husband remained behind w4th the hope of saving his 
stock, etc., but his efforts were futile as all his belongings fell a prey to the 
savages and their English allies. The refugees passed through Fort Findlay 
and saw the soldiers still working on the block houses which were commenced 
the previous June. After stopping in Lh-bana for a couple of months, the 
Carlins located on Buck creek, east of the village, where they lived until 1814, 
when Squire and his father returned to Maumee, built a cabin near Fort 
Meigs and raised a crop of corn on what is now known as War Club Island. 
The following year they were joined by the other members of the family and 
moved to the old clearing north of the river. The buildings on the place 
had been burned by the British and Indians and new ones had to be erected. 
The parents spent the remainder of their lives on the Maumee. 

It was there that Squire Carlin grew to manhood with no school privi- 
leges whatever, except three months on the Maumee river, and all the educa- 
tion that he possessed was acquired after he located in Findlay. In April, 
1 82 1, he was united in marriage to Sarah Wolcott, whose parents settled on 
the Maumee at the close of the war of 181 2. By this union were born ten 
children, but only three reached years of maturity, W. D., the eldest of these 



194 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

was a surgeon in the Union army during the Civil war, and died in 1862; 
J. E. H., now a resident of Findlay, crossed the plains with his father in 
1849, ^^'^^ again went to the Pacific slope in 1853, spending twelve years in 
California and fourteen years in Nevada. He was interested in a quartz 
mill for some years and also did some mining. Sally W., the only surviving 
daughter, is the widow of Judge G. W. Myers. The mother of these children 
died in 1850. 

Mr. Carlin visited Findlay several times before and after the settle- 
ment of Wilson Vance in 182 1, and in November, 1826, purchased a lot on 
the southwest corner of South Main and West Front streets from Joseph 
Vance and Elnathan Cory, the original town proprietors. This property 
is still in possession of his widow, it being the oldest continuous title in 
Hancock county. In a cabin built upon this lot he opened the first store in 
Findlay, his trade being to a great extent with the Indians. In 1828 he was 
joined by his brother Parlee and together they carried on business under 
the firm name of S. & P. Carlin for many years. Our subject spent much 
of his time traveling through the forest buying furs from the Indians, white 
hunters and small traders. These he would take to Detroit, where they were 
shipped to London, England. One winter Mr. Carlin purchased four thou- 
sand and six hundred deer skins and seven thousand coon skins. While en- 
gaged in the fur trade he suffered many hardships and privations. While on 
one of his trips in the winter of 1828 and very himgry, he came upon an Indian 
camp in the forest where several dressed animals were roasting before a 
log iire. Jumping from his horse he cut off a large slice of the roasting meat. 
One of the Indians present, seeing the avidity with which he ate, said : ''You 
like um fox?" *'Yes," said Mr. Carlin, "don't you?" The Indian shook his 
head. "Then why do you roast them?" was asked. "For my dogs," re- 
plied the Indian, who seemed much amused over the incident. The meat, 
however, tasted good to the hungry trader, who first supposed the animals 
to be coons, a much prized dish among the pioneers. Squire and Parlee 
Carlin carried on mercantile business for many years and also conducted the 
grist and saw mills on the north side of the Blanchard, on the present site 
of the Union block and the traction company's plant. These mills they owned 
for more than forty years. 

In 1849 Mr. Carlin crossed the plains to California, being one of a com- 
pany of fifty-five men, who started from Independence, Missouri, with mule 
teams which they had bought at that place and then broke in preparation for 
the journey. Our subject remained in the Golden state for two years, at the 
end of which time he returned home by water, traveling by way of the isth- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 195 

rnus of Panama and New Orleans, where he had the twenty thousand dollars' 
worth of gold dust brought with him converted in to money. He then pro- 
ceeded up the Mississippi and Ohio rivers to Cincinnati, where he purchased 
four watches, paying one hundred dollars each. One of these Mrs. Carlin 
still owns and it is a good time-keeper yet. 

On his return to Fhidlay Mr. Carlin sold his store, which he had still 
retained while in the west and was then principally engaged in 
the loaning of money and in speculation, though he was also in- 
terested in general farming and the milling business as previously stated. 
He accumulated much property and became the second wealthiest man in the 
county. He was largely instrumental in building the Fremont & Indiana 
Railroad in 1853, now a part of the Lake Erie & Western Railroad, extend- 
ing from Fremont to Union City, Indiana, but in this venture he lost heavily, 
and afterward retired from active business. He was one of the largest 
landholders in this part of the state, at one time owning several thousand 
acres of land in Hancock and Wood counties. For many years he was in the 
banking business in this city. 

In June, 1853, ^^^- Carlin was again married, his second union being 
with Mrs. Delia B. G. Gardner, who was born in Jefferson county. New York, 
March 8, 1822, a daughter of James and Esther (Parker) Briggs, natives of 
Vermont and of English descent. Her paternal grandfather, Peter Briggs, 
was born in Massachusetts and became a very prominent politician of the 
Green Mountain state, where he represented his district in the legislature. 
Mrs. Carlin spent the first fifteen years of her life in her native county, and 
then accompanied her parents on their removal to Cuyahoga county, Ohio, 
where she was first married in 1842 to Charles H. Gardner. For about a 
year they made their home in Wayne county, New York, and then they re- 
moved to Vermont, where they spent two years. The following two years 
were passed in Nantucket, Massachusetts, and from there they went to 
Sheffield and later to Worcester, that state, but finally located in Cleve- 
land, Ohio. Mr. Gardner died at St. Augustine, Florida, in 1848, and a 
year later his widow returned to Cleveland. Subsequently she took up her 
residence in Columbus, Ohio, where she engaged in teaching school for some 
time, and it was there that she met Mr. Carlin, to whom she gave her hand 
in marriage in June, 1853. By her first union she had one daughter, 
Frances R. G., who first married C. Yonker and for her second husband 
wedded Edmond Dodd. By his second marriage Mr. Carlin had three chil- 
dren: Frederick P., who is now engaged in the hotel business in Findlay; 
Alice May, who died at the age of twelve years ; and one who died in infancy. 



196 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Religiously Mr. Carlin was a prominent member of the Methodist Epis- 
copal church, and died in that faith on the 29th of November, 1892. In 
politics he was a life-long Democrat and during his early years took a very 
active and influential part in public affairs. He was the third postmaster of 
Findlay, in which office he served from 1831 to March, 1849, ^ period of 
nearly eighteen years. He was also treasurer of the county from June, 183 1, 
to June, 1839. In his business dealings he was ever prompt, reliable and 
entirely trustworthy, and although he gained a far greater degree of success 
than comes to most men, it was because of his very energetic, persevering 
and capable management of his affairs. He was widely and favorably known 
and in his death the community lost one of its best citizens. Mrs. Carlin 
is one of the leading and most highly respected women of Findlay. 

DR. W. C. ROLLER. 

In the medical fraternity, although a comparatively young man, Dr. W. 
C. Roller has attained a position of relative distinction and occupies a lead- 
ing place as a representative of his profession. His close application to busi- 
ness and the pre-eminently successful conduct of the important cases which 
have come under his supervision have made for him a place in the hearts 
of the community which he serves. During the short period of his practice he 
has won a large and constantly growing patronage, which is well merited, 
for he has qualified himself by a comprehensive and thorough mastery of 
the principles of medical science, and the best methods of applying these to 
the needs of suffering humanity. 

Dr. W. C. Roller claims nativity in Van Wert county, Ohio, he having 
been born in that county on the 5th of September, 1870. His paternal sire 
was A. J. Roller, his mother's maiden name having been Mary J. Guthrie. 
Mr. Roller, the father of our subject, is a native of Columbiana county, Ohio, 
the mother a native of Steuben county, Indiana. Mr. A. J. Roller, the father, 
is at the present time a very prominent and successful farmer of Van Wert 
county. Here he is held in great repute, and is prominently identified with 
the public life of the county, his Democratic friends having chosen him fre- 
quently to the different offices in his home township, and he served for six 
years as county commissioner. He is an active worker in the Methodist 
Episcopal church, of which organization he is an earnest supporter. 

Returning to the consideration of the chief points in the rather brief 
career of Dr. Roller, the writer notes that he was given an excellent educa- 
tion, laying the foundation of it in the district school of his home district. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 197 

He later attended the Middleport Normal School. With this preparation he 
repaired to Columbus, Ohio, where he matriculated at the Columbus Medical 
College, took a thorough course, and in due time was graduated from that 
institution. He, however, was not satisfied with his preparation, for he looks 
upon his chosen profession as being one attended with the greatest responsi- 
bihties — even the solving of the problem of life. He therefore went to Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio, where he graduated from the College of Medicine and Sur- 
gery in 1898. His first location was in the community of Spencerville, Allen 
county, Ohio, but concluding there was a wider field for effort at West Inde- 
pendence, he went to that community in 1901, and was engaged in active 
practice there until October, 1902, when he removed to Arcadia. The mar- 
riage of Dr. W. C. Roller and Miss Ida Van Swearingen was celebrated in 
1894, in Van Wert county. Mrs. Roller was the daughter of William and 
Margaret Van Swearingen. The union has been blessed with one son, B. 
Fay Roller, who was born in 1895. Dr. Roller is prominently identified with 
a number of the fraternal organizations of his community. He is a member 
of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Tribe of Ben Hur, and 
at the present time medical examiner of the latter. He keeps in close touch 
with all affairs affecting his own profession, taking an active interest in the 
sessions of the Northwest Medical Association of Ohio, and of the Hancock 
County Medical Society. The Doctor and his wife are active workers in the 
Methodist Episcopal church. Politically the Doctor is an earnest supporter 
of the principles laid down by Thomas Jefferson. Among his friends he is 
a genial gentleman of cordial disposition, and has a very large circle of 
acquaintances in the community to which he is devoting the best years of 
his life, and who esteem him highly for his genuine worth. 

JESSE I. BRINKER. 

One of the enterprising business men of Hancock county is Jesse I. 
Brinker, a tile manufacturer, residing and doing business in Big Lick town- 
ship. He was born in Meigs county, Ohio, in 1873, and is the son of C. and 
Ettie Brinker, both natives of that locality. Mr. Brinker came to Hancock 
county in 1896, and since that time has been actively connected with the busi- 
ness of this section. His whole life has been devoted to the vocation which 
he adopted in early manhood and of whose details he is a thorough master. 
His first venture was in his home county in 1889 and he has been continuously 
engaged in the business with the exception of one year since that time. He 
learned his trade with the Pittsburg Sewer Pipe Manufacturing Company, 



198 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

was subsequently employed by the Roller Brothers in their tile yard for a 
period of three years, bought them out in 1892, and is now operating that 
plant on his own account. He has a capacity here of seventeen kiln per year 
and manufactures all sizes of drain tile. His close application to business and 
the sagacity displayed in the moving of his product have resulted in such a 
good trade that his future looks exceedingly bright. Mr. Brinker was united 
in marriage at Findlay, Ohio, January i, 1900, to Inez Hall, an acomplished 
3'-oung lady of that city. She is a native of Hancock county, having been born 
in Big Lick township in 1878. She has presented her husband with one 
daughter, Alice F., born September 26, 1901. Mr. Brinker is a member of 
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of West Independence, and is also a 
worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Big Lick. 

PRESTON B. GATHERS. 

The oil business in Hancock county has been the means of assembling 
here many men of great mechanical skill, and one of these is Preston B. 
Gathers, who was born in i860, on a farm, near Franklin, Pennsylvania, and 
is a son of Burrows and Rasanna (McMullen) Gathers, both natives of 
Pennsylvania, where he died in 1863, at the age of forty-five, and she shortly 
afterward. Her father, John McMullen, came to this country from the north 
of Ireland about the beginning of the nineteenth century. Her mother came 
from the north of Ireland as a young girl and lived about seventy-five years. 
Burrows Gathers was of Scotch-Irish descent and his father, John, was an old- 
time school teacher of Pennsylvania, living on a farm in summer and teaching 
in the winter. 

Until he was seventeen years of age our subject attended school in the 
country during the winters, and worked in summer, and then attracted by the 
opportunities offered in the oil region, went to the fields in McKean county, 
where he soon began his business career. For some years he built oil well 
machinery and then engaged in bridge building. In 1887 he came first to 
Findlay, Ohio, and began the building of oil well rigs and continues so occu- 
pied. For some years Mr. Gathers was an oil producer, but he now occupies 
his spare time with farming. 

In Toledo, Ohio, in 1890, Mr. Gathers was married to Miss Eva Bate- 
man, and the son born to this union is named Merl, now eight years old. 
The parents of Mrs. Gathers were Johnson H. and Harriet (Keller) Bateman, 
the former a successful farmer who enlisted in the war of the Rebellion and 
served to its close. His father, also named John, came from England and first 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY i99 

settled in Virginia, from there coming to Ohio and settling on the Maumee 
river, where he farmed until the end of his days. In political attachment our 
subject is a Democrat. He is fraternally connected with the order of Odd 
Fellows, the Elks and the Tribe of Ben Hur. Since locating in this city, Mr. 
Gathers has made many friends by his upright business methods and his pleas- 
ant personal characteristics. 

SALATHIEL V. ALSPACH. 

The gentleman above named, now connected with the furniture business 
at Findlay, is a native of Hancock county and a son of pioneer parents. His 
ancestors, originally German, have been identified with the United States for 
over a century and the name has always been a synonym for good citizenship 
in whatever community its representatives might be settled. They have been 
connected with the growth of Hancock county for over seventy years, in 
various ways as suited different tastes, and have contributed their full share 
toward the steady development which has made the county prosperous. 
Henry Alspach, founder of the American branch of the family, came over 
during the latter part of the eighteenth century and secured a location in 
Pennsylvania. His son, Adam Alspach, was born in that state in 1788, re- 
moved to Ohio in 1800, remained some years in Fairfield county and in 1830 
came to Hancock county, where he died in 1856. He served as a soldier dur- 
ing the war of 18 12, and afterward followed agricultural pursuits with such 
success as to secure a comfortable competence. Among his children was 
Daniel Alspach, whose birth occurred in Fairfield county, Ohio, in 181 1, and 
who was consequently nineteen years old when he came with his parents to 
Hancock county. As this arrival took place in April, 1830, he is justly en- 
titled to rank as one of the pioneer settlers, the county at that time being 
sparsely populated and almost wholly undeveloped. When he grew up Dan- 
iel became a farmer and devoted his entire time and energy to this occupation 
until the termination of his life in 1891. 

Salathiel V. Alspach was born on his father's farm in Amanda township, 
Hancock county, Ohio, November 23, 1858, and remained at home until he 
had reached years of maturity. His life at that period was similar to that of 
other country boys, a division of time between school attendance and farm 
work, interspersed with those occasional diversions which go so far to relieve 
the monotony of rural existence. When nineteen years old Mr. Alspach aban- 
doned the school room as a pupil soon to re-enter it as an instructor and for 
a number of years taught winter terms in schools of Hancock and Wyandot 



200 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

counties, while working on the farm in summer. In 1890 he came to Findlay 
to accept a position as assistant in tlie county recorder's office, and after fiUing 
this place a year, put in the same length of time as a deputy in the office of 
sheriff. In 1892 Mr. Alspach formed a partnership with P. W. Ewing for 
the sale of furniture, and since its formation the firm has been doing a 
growing business at Findlay, enjoying recognition at present as one of the 
leaders in their line. 

In 1889 ]\Ir. Alspach was married at Huntsville, Ohio, to Miss Edna, 
daughter of the late Horace S. Brooks. His political predilections are decid- 
edly Democratic, but while he yields his party zealous support he asks noth- 
ing in return by way of office. Mr. Alspach has a partiality for the fraterni- 
ties and gratifies this inclination by membership in various orders. He is a 
member of the various Masonic bodies at Findlay, including Findlay lodge 
No. 227; Findlay Chapter No. 58, R. A. M., Findlay Commandery No. 49, 
K. T., and Lake Erie Consistory, Cleveland Ohio. He is also a member of 
Zenobia Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Toledo, Ohio, and the B. P. O. E., 
No. 75, and the I. O. O. F. 

JACOB ANTHONY KIMMELL, M. D. 

Dr. Kimmeirs claim to the consideration and esteem of his fellow citi- 
zens rests upon the basis of an honorable military record and an equally 
creditable career in civic life, during which he has served faithfully in vari- 
ous positions of trust, including membership in the legislature and incumb- 
ency of city offices. In these and other places of responsibility he has so 
demeaned himself and discharged his duties as to receive and deserve the 
title of a good citizen in the best sense of that term. Though not a native of 
Findlay, Dr. Kimmell has been a resident of that city for more than fifty 
years, and is a familiar figure to every inhabitant of the place. These in- 
troductory remarks will be amply substantiated by the following brief out- 
line of the Doctor's career, whose presentation as fully as deserved is pre- 
vented by the limitations as to space imposed by the scope of this publication. 

Jacob A. Kimmell was born in Carroll county, Ohio, in 1844, but came 
with his parents to Findlay when seven years old. He was attending school 
when the Civil war broke out, and in common with all other Ohio boys of that 
period was fired with an ambition to become a soldier in the cause of the 
Union. His ambition in this direction was at length gratified by his enlist- 
ment, in February, 1863, in Company A, Twenty-first Regiment, Ohio Vol- 
unteer Infantry, with which he served with commendable gallantry as long 




Kin^, L, I {, /tan^.-i^-uJ/ 




^/U7 ^^-^Utl//i/,^^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 201 

as health and strength permitted. He participated with his regiment in 
numerous engagements, among the more important of which may be men- 
tioned Chickamauga, Tunnel Hill, Resaca, Kennesaw Mountain, 
New Hope Church, and Atlanta. At length rheumatism, more dreadful than 
the enemy in front, so afflicted young Kimmell that he was sent north to 
Jeffersonville, where he was detailed when convalescent as hospital steward 
and served in that capacity until the close of hostilities. He was mustered 
out of service in June, 1865, immediately thereafter returned to his home at 
Findlay, and took up the study of medicine. After a brief preliminary prep- 
aration he entered the Western Reserve College at Cleveland and was grad- 
uated by that institution in the class of 1869. After leaving college Dr. Kim- 
mell first located at Cannonsburg, Hancock county, where he practiced his 
profession for five years and returned in 1872 to his old home at Findlay. 
The young doctor took well from the start, soon secured a living patronage 
and this has been retained and steadily increased from year to year during 
the three decades of his professional career at Findlay. Aside from this, 
however, Dr. Kimmell has figured conspicuously and creditably in many 
other lines. He served a term in the city council and for a number of years 
discharged the duties of gas trustee. In the fall of 1895 he was elected a 
representative from Hancock county to the Ohio state legislature, during 
which time he introduced and secured the passage of a bill giving the physi- 
cians of Ohio the first law for the regulation and examination of doctors. 
He served for two years to the entire satisfaction of his constituents. His 
tastes, however, are rather for his chosen profession than for politics, and it 
is in that line that he has achieved his most marked success and made the 
record by which he will best be remembered. During his long career he has 
often been honored by his professional brethren by promotion to responsible 
positions in their various organizations. For many years he held the presi- 
dency of the Hancock Medical Society, and in 1900 was elected president of 
the Northwestern Ohio Medical Association. In addition to this Dr. Kim- 
mell is also a member of the Ohio State Medical Society, the American Med- 
ical Association, the Mississippi Valley Medical Association, the Internation- 
al Association of Railway Surgeons and the International Medical Congress. 
The lady whom Dr. Kmmell married is worthy of especial notice. Rose 
Evalyne, daughter of Ambrose and Annie Graber, was born in Findlay, 
Ohio, August 12, 1852. She spent her entire home life in that city, but was an 
extensive traveler, having seen most all parts of the United States and ac- 
companied her husband on a tour of Europe, the Holy Land and Eg}^pt in 
1890. She was given every educational advantage, and at one time was a 



202 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

teacher of German, of which language she was a fluent speaker, and she 
also served as assistant superintendent of the Findlay high school. On the 
1 2th of January, 1875, at the age of twenty-two years, she was married to 
Dr. J. A. Kimmell, by whom she became the mother of an only son, Alfred 
G., born January 4, 1877. Mrs. Kimmell was a member of several social and 
literary clubs of the city, among them being the Pauline Davies and Carpe 
Diem, and she was also a graduate of the Bay View Reeling Course. Her 
life was a model one; she loved her home and devoted her talents to the 
furtherance of its best interests. She thought of her family first of all, but 
being a woman of abundant resources and of a wholesome regard for the 
welfare of her fellow beings she found time to enlarge her field of labor. 
She was active in charitable work of every nature, and was foremost among 
the noble band of women who contributed so much toward the founding and 
maintenance of the Home and Hospital, being its first treasurer, which office 
she held for many years. She was a good woman, and these simple words 
contain the highest tribute to one who for twenty-five years was a devoted 
mother, a stanch and unwavering Christian and one whose life and deeds 
comprehend in the fullest measure that charitable instinct so seldom seen in 
its glorious maturity. Her charity was equal to her ability; she was humane 
to an extreme; for the worthy in trouble her hands were ready with relief; 
distress in every form met her ready sympathy; her desire to work for the 
good of others far exceeded her physical ability; and none knew her but to 
love her. Wherever she went all were happier for her presence, and although 
her life was not long in years it was full of that good which makes one better 
and life more Avorth the living. The measure is not how long she lived, but 
how much. She departed this life on the 13th of December, 1900, at the age 
of forty-eight years. 

Dr. Kimmell has not only traveled much over various parts of the world, 
but he is a close reader and student, and these qualities make him a highly 
desirable as well as instructive companion. As late as 1898 he went to the 
Bellevne Hospital Medical College in New York for the purpose of taking 
a post-graduate course ruid learning all the latest discoveries and improve- 
ments in medical science. This is a sample of the professional pride which 
will not allow him to fall behind in the march of progress, and few physi- 
cians can claim to be better informed or more strictly up-to-date than Dr. 
Kimmell. The Doctor is not only a fine talker but a brilliant writer and es- 
pecially fond of discussing the great problem concerning the future life which 
has puzzled man from the beginning. Though decidedly liberal in his re- 
ligious views, he is a firm believer in the immortality of the soul, and on this 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 203 

theme has written several articles with untistial earnestness and acumen. 
Taken all in ail there is seldom found a man more deserving of esteem for 
what he has done or more interesting as a companion than Jacob A. Kimmeli, 
one of the veteran pliysicians of Findlay. 

JOSEPH P. REDFERN. 

It is said that the noblest work of the pen of history is to state facts, de- 
scribe conditions and narrate events which illustrate the progress of the human 
mind; that in the coming age the hisory of wars, even when presented in the 
fascinating garb of brilliant achievements, will be read more with sorrow and 
regret than with satisfaction and delight. But who would obliterate from 
Grecian history the record of the heroism of those who drove the Persian 
hordes into the sea at Marathon? No Englishman desires to take from the 
history of his country the deeds of her Wellington or Nelson, and what pa- 
triot would rob the history of America of the record of the victories of our 
army and navy in the several wars which our nation has been engaged, and 
deprive the people of the benefits and results of those grand achievements? 
Hancock county has among her citizens many of the noble boys who partic- 
ipated in the late Civil war, and it is not in the mind of the publisher of this 
volume to let their achievements go without mention. We present here in this 
gentleman one of the gallant soldiers who went to the front and distinguished 
himself in the service of his country. 

Joseph P. Redfern is at the present time a farmer in Cass township, 
where he resides on a well tilled holding. In 1862, when the country needed 
brave and honest men to defend her honor, he enlisted in Company B, One 
Hundred and Eleventh Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, as a private sol- 
dier. His courage was severely tested in the following well contested battles : 
Stone River, Huff's Ferry, Lenore, Campbell Station, siege of Knoxville, Ft. 
Saunders, Dandridge, Strawberry Plains, Rock Face, Resaca, Burnt Hick- 
ory, Lost Mountain, Kennesaw Mountain, Nickajac Creek, Decatur, Chat- 
tahoochee River, Peachtree Creek, Atlanta, Jonesboro, Stone Mountain, Al- 
latoona, Duck River, Franklin, Nashville, Ft. Donelson, Town Creek and 
Ralleigh. This is without question one of the best records of service that can 
be presented by any member of the G. A. R. of this day. He passed through 
all these battles without a scratch and was honorably discharged at Jonesboro, 
North Carolina, June 17, 1865. All honor to the boys in blue who risked their 
lives for the constitution! On his return to civil life he resumed his place at 



204 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

the plow, which instrument he had left in the furrow when he took up the 
musket. 

Joseph P. Redfern was born in Wood county, Ohio, November 30, 1843. 
He is the son of Joseph and Ann (Phillips) Redfern, the former having been 
born in Meeker, Yorkshire, England, February, 14, 181 2, being one of a fam- 
ily of six children, three of whom are still living. Joseph Redfern, Sr., is at 
the present time in his ninety-first year, Mrs. Goldsboro, a sister, is eighty- 
nine years of age, and Mrs. Levit is eighty-two. Joseph Redfern, when a 
young man of eighteen years, emigrated to America where he first located in 
Lorain county, Ohio, and afterwards in Hancock county, and where he has 
resided for a number of years. He was united in marriage to Miss Ann Phil- 
lips on the 8th of January, 1835. They resided in Bloomdale until 1837^ 
after which they removed to Hancock county, in Cass township. To the mar- 
riage there were twelve children born, Heniy, Frances, Peter, W. H., 
Matilda, J. P., J. R., J. O., Roda S., deceased, Margaret R., C. F., and 
E. T. The mother of this large family died while her son Joseph was 
at the front during the Civil war, the date being February 17, 1864. 
Mr. Redfern's father is a remarkable man for his age. His faculties are 
unimpaired and his memory is as good as when he was forty. He is revered 
by all as one of the living members of that noble band of pioneers which 
made Hancock county in its institutions and agricultural holdings one 
of the very best of the great state of Ohio. During all these years he 
has been a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church and has 
taken delight in entertaining the weary itinerant preacher. He has served 
his township in several offices, and in later years has been a sympathizer with 
Republican principles. His life has been a successful one, both temporally 
and spiritually. In his home he is hospitable and sociable, traits which have 
made for him a host of friends. His accumulation of real estate amounted to 
two hundred and forty acres in Hancock county, and seventy acres in Wood 
county. All this was made by hard, earnest and honest toil. 

Joseph P. Redfern, the gentleman whose name honors this sketch, was 
born in Wood county, November 30, 1843. He was reared and educated in 
the common schools, and finished his literary education at the Fostoria high 
school. His life was without special event up to the time of the war, and after 
the war he set up an establishment of his own and has since been engaged as 
n successful and prominent agriculturist. He bought his present farm of 
eighty acres in 1869, to which he has added forty more. Mr. Redfern has 
been twice joined in marriage, his first wife having been Miss F. J. Callahan, 
whom he married in 1868. She became the mother of five children, Luticia, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 205 

deceased, Nellie, Jennie, Arthur and an unnamed infant deceased. Mrs. F. J. 
Redfern died on the 2d of August, 1897. She was a native of Allegheny 
county, Pennsylvania, born there November 13, 1848. Mr. Redfern subse- 
quently called to preside over his home Mrs. Hallie Poe, the date of their mar- 
riage being April 12, 1899. This lady is a native of Portage township. Wood 
county, where she was born February 4, 1852. Her maiden name was Pres- 
cott, her father, Elisha Prescott, having been a gallant soldier in the Union 
army. He was a member of the One Hundredth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 
and served his country gallantly until 1864, when he was sacrificed to that 
horrible juggernaut car, the abominable southern prison. He was cap- 
tured in battle and spent a number of months at the noted 
Libby prison, after w^iich he was paroled, but such had been his experience in 
the prison from lack of food his constitution broke down and he died as a 
result. 

Joseph P. Redfern is a gentleman of considerable prominence in his 
community, where he has been honored with the various offices in his town- 
ship. He has always been exceedingly solicitous of the educational interests 
of his district, and has served as clerk of the school board for a period of 
eleven years. He was trustee of the township for two years and justice of the 
peace for eight years. He is an honored member of the Methodist Episcopal 
church, and of Uric Post, G. A. R., No. no. Of this post lie has been com- 
mander, and has acted as installing officer quite frequently. 

Thus ends the record of one of Hancock county's most honored families, 
and we present it to our readers with full confidence that it will meet with the 
approbation of all. 

G. W. ERNEST. 

Among the German element which is so honorably associated with the 
history of Hancock county, none are more worthy of mention than the gen- 
tleman whose name we here present. He comes of one of the early pioneer 
families, and is himself a man of high repute in the community. 

Jacob Ernest was the first of the family to remove to Hancock county, the 
date being 1836. He had been a resident of Perry county, Pennsylvania, 
where he was born. In that county he was married to Mary Moose. When 
he came to Hancock county he purchased eighty acres of land, to which he 
subsequently added forty-five. He proceeded to clear and improve this land, 
and such was his industry and the good business judgment which he displayed 
in business life, that he was able to accumulate a competence l)efore his death. 



206 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPEIICAL HISTORY . 

He was a good practical farmer in his day, and was an extensive raiser of fine 
stock. Politically he believed in the principles of government as taught by 
Jefferson, and served his township as trustee at frequent intervals. In matters, 
of religion he favored and was a prominent member of the German Lutheran 
church. The family which he reared consisted of nine children, three of 
whom are living at the present time, G. W. Ernest, the subject of this sketch; 
Charles and E. J. The father of this family died in 1885, and his wife in 1876. 
Mr. G. W. Ernest was born September 7, 1840, in Washington township, , 
where he was reared. His early education was acquird in the schools of his 
native township. Like his father before him, he chose farming as an occu- 
pation, and such was his training and his own industry that he is looked upon .. 
as one of the leading farmers of his county. He and his brother Charles oper-! 
ate a farm of one hundred and fifteen acres jointly, besides a tract of one hun- 
dred and sixty acres which they own in Wood county. Mr. G. W. Ernest has 
never married. Charles, the other brother, was born in 1859, and married 
Miss Ida Kelley. The Ernests are of German descent as is also the Moose 
family. They were good citizens in the early days, and their sons continue to 
sustain the reputation which they enjoyed for probity and upright conduct. 
They enjoy the confidence and esteem of their fellow citizens in a high degree. 

FRANK A. GRIFFIN. 

Frank A. Griffin, who is engaged in the undertaking business in Mc- 
Comb, was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, on the 8th of September, i860. 
The Griffin family is from Vermont. The father of our subject was the Rev. 
Spencer A. Griffm, a minister of the Disciples church. He married Margery 
Johnston. Spencer A. Griffin's mother bore the maiden name of Alden and 
was a descendant in the seventh generation in direct line from John Alden, 
of Mayflower fame. 

Because his father's pastoral work called him to various places Frank A. 
Griffin was reared at different towns in Ohio and acquired most of his edu- 
cation in Fostoria from the age of sixteen years. In early manhood he en- 
gaged in teaching in the country schools of Hancock county for about twelve 
years and in 1880 he came to McComb. In 1884 he estabhshed himself in the 
undertaking business, succeeding his father to the ownership of their under- 
taking parlors upon the latter's death, in June, 1900. Fle is prepared to do 
satisfactory work in his line and receives a liberal patronage from those in 
need of his services. He is also engaged in the insurance business, is a notary 
public and gives attention to writing wills and settling of estates. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 207 

In the year 1891, in Steubenville, Ohio, Mr. Griffin was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Hettie Holroyd, and unto them have been born five children, as 
follows: S. Alden, John Holroyd, Margery, George A., and Ralph N. The 
parents hold membership in the Disciples church, in which Mr. Griffin is serv- 
ing as an elder and in the work of the church he takes an active interest and 
contributes liberally to its support. He is quite prominent in political circles 
as a supporter of the Republican party, has served as mayor of McComb, and 
for three years was justice of the peace of Pleasant township, his decisions 
being strictly fair and impartial. He was also a member of the McComb 
board of education, acting in that capacity for three years and serving as its 
clerk. Socially he is connected with the Knights of Pythias and his genial 
nature makes him popular in fraternal and other circles, where his worth is 
also recognized. 

CHARLES EDWARD WATSON. 

The gentleman above mentioned, ex-mayor of Findlay, achieved this dis- 
tinction after a twelve years' residence, the preferment having been preceded 
by membership in the city council for two terms. Aside from his official ten- 
ures his business connections have been with the mercantile interests, but in 
both lines he has exhibited those qualities which usually attract attention and 
insure success. His family is of English origin and was founded in America 
by his grandfather, Joshua Watson, who came to the United States 
in the early part of the nineteenth century and died while a resident of 
Michigan. The latter's son, Samuel G. Watson, was born in New York state, 
in 1830, came to Huron county, Ohio, in 1850, and was married four years 
later to Abigail Burgess, by whom he had six children, the five survivors be- 
ing: Alice A., wife of Wesley Griffith, Charles E., Egbert N., C. Albert and 
Wilbur L. G. 

Charles Edward Watson, second of the surviving children, was born on 
his father's farm in Huron .county, Ohio, July 12, 1858, and remained at 
home obtaining his education until he reached manhood. Leaving school 
after the completion of his twenty-first year he went to Lincoln, Kansas, and 
secured employment in a drug store as clerk, which posititon he held a year, 
after which he opened a drug store at Dansburg, Michigan. His establish- 
ment being shortly after destroyed by fire, he returned to his Ohio home and 
spent a short time on the farm. In February, 1888, he came to Findlay and 
was engaged as clerk in various grocery stores for several years. In 1897 he 
was eletced to the city council as representative of the Eighth ward and was 



208 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

re-elected to the same position two years later. His resignation from the 
council was necessitated by his acceptance of the mayoralty, to which office he 
had been elected in 1900 on the Republican ticket. This closes his political 
career up to date, but the friends and admirers of ex-Mayor Watson predict 
that still further honors await him at the hands of his constituents. 

In 1880 Mr. Watson was married, at Greenwich, Ohio, to Miss Minnie 
J., daughter of John Grouse, and has two children : Veva and Kenneth. The 
religious affiliations of the family are with the Presbyterian church, and Mr. 
Watson's fraternal connections are with the Ancient Order of United Work- 
men and the Modern Woodmen of America, of which he is now district 
deputy of the territory embraced in the Fourth and Eighth Gongressional 
districts. 

ALLFREE H. RIAL. 

Brav^ely meeting the duties of life as they arise, this representative of 
the farming interests of Hancock county has been devoting his time to stock- 
raising and general farming on an excellent tract of eighty acres in Gass 
township. Mr. Rial's birth occurred in Washington county, Pennsylvania, 
in 1 82 1, in which place he passed the period of boyhood and youth. He has 
never known anything but agriculture, a fact which no doubt has added its 
influence in bringing him to his present position as one of the leading farmers 
of one of the leading counties of one of the leading states in the Union. He 
has been a resident of Hancock county since the first of April, 1864, in which 
year he purchased his present farm. At that time it was but partially under 
cultivation, but he has brought it to such fine condition by the power of axe 
and ploAv and good managem.ent that it presents as fine an appearance as any 
farm in Gass township. It is in the oil belt of Hancock county and has 
upon it three producing wells, one of which has been especially prolific, hav- 
ing at one time emitted two hundred barrels of oil per day. At latest accounts 
another well was being drilled on this farm. In 1882 Mr. Rial constructed 
his modern home, which adds greatly to the appearance .of his farm. De- 
cember 10, 185 1, he celebrated his marriage with Mary E., daughter of Robert 
and Nancy A. Greer. While there was no issue by this union, they were both 
so fond of children that no less than five fatherless little ones were reared 
under their roof, a fact which is eloquent of their kindness of heart. Mrs. 
Mary E. Rial is a woman of beautiful character, and a lady who is loved 
and honored in all this section. She was born in Gecil township, W^ashing- 
ton county, Pennsyhania, in 1832. Mr. and j\Irs. Rial have passed a long 




c/^a^^lM f S^-A.yU^<^^:^, ULc 6Lycl 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 209 

and happy married existence and on December 10, 1901, amid the heartfelt 
congratulations of a gathered host of friends at their home, celebrated the 
fiftieth anniversary of their wedding. Mr, Rial has always been deeply con- 
cerned in the advancement and progress of his section of the county. He has 
been active in the public Hfe of the community, serving as supervisor for the 
township, being a director on the school board at frequent intervals, and 
serving as juror about seven times at intervals. He has been for thirty-five 
years a member of the Lutheran church, in which he served as elder and 
deacon. 

Mr. Rial's parents were Daniel and Susanna (Allfree) Rial, the former 
born in New Jersey and the latter a native of Delaware. They were pros- 
perous farmers in the Keystone state. On the paternal side Mr. Rial is of 
English extraction, while the Allfrees are of German stock and the Greer 
branch of the family introduces Irish blood. Mr. Rial is a practical farmer, 
a good neighbor, a loyal citizen who believes in the principles of honest 
dealings between man and man. He believes in and carries out the principles 
of the Golden Rule, and he and his good wife are passing the declining years 
of their long and useful careers amidst the love and respect of friends and 
neighbors. 

GEORGE NELSON. 

George Nelson, a prominent farmer residing in Cass township, Hancock 
county, Ohio, owns one of the farms which are doubly remunerative, being 
composed of fertile soil ready to yield abundantly to cultivation, and also 
lying in the oil belt, and having four fine wells located upon it. 

The birth of Mr. Nelson was in Trumbull county, Ohio, on March 12, 
1845, and he was two years of age when his parents, Thomas and Mary Nel- 
son, settled on a farm of eighty acres in Cass township, Hancock county. 
Thomas Nelson was born in 1808, in Pennsylvania. By trade he was a 
shoemaker, but was also an excellent business man and a capable farmer, as 
prior to his death, in 1877, he had accumulated a property comprising over 
three hundred and fifty acres of good farming land. His industry was 
notable, his life was that of a quiet, God-fearing man, one who was always 
ready to kindly assist a neighbor or do a charitable deed. He was twice 
married and had nine children born to him, those of his first marriage being: 
Cornelia, Calvin, John, Robert, George and James. Daniel F. was of the sec- 
ond marriage. John and Robert served their country as privates in the 
Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Robert dying before his term expired, 
and John being honorably discharged at the end of the war. 



2IO CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

George Nelson was given the advantages of the district school, where 
he secured as good an education as could be obtained in the place. January 
21, 1867, he was united in marriage with Miss Sarah, the daughter of George 
Stough, who was born January 21, 1850, and died December 9, 1876. The 
children of this union were: John E., born December 23, 1868; Ballard, 
born April 9, 1871; Porter, born January 18, 1873; and Carlton, deceased, 
born September 28, 1875. On March 10, 1881, our subject was married to 
Miss Faith Fisher, and the children born to this union were the following : 
Mertie, born December 24, 1881 ; Robert Z., born January 26, 1884; Howard 
T., born June 20, 1886; and Qyde F., born February 28, 1890. 

The first purchase of land made by our subject was in 1878, when he 
became the owner of a part of his father's land, his original eighty acres being 
gradually increased until it has reached its present large amount. Mr. Nel- 
son is a practical farmer and understands every detail of agricultural work. 
His methods have brought him great success and he is one of the substantial 
men of the township. Like all the members of his family, Mr. Nelson is a 
Democrat. His farm comprises one hundred and sixty acres of well im- 
proved land, and he does a general farming business. 

THOMAS STACY. 

Thomas Stacy, who is one of the leading farmers of Cass township, Han- 
cock county, Ohio, owns a fine farm of one hundred and eighty acres, which 
he devotes to general farming. His birth took place in Mahoning county, 
Ohio, on July 12, 1833, and he is a son of Joseph and Jane Stacy, both of 
whom were natives of Mahoning county. 

The parents of our subject located in Hancock county in 1852, on the 
farm which is now the property of their son Thomas. At that time the 
farm comprised one hundred and sixty acres, twenty of which had been 
cleared. The remainder came under improvement and cultivation during his 
lifetime. By trade Joseph Stacy was a stone-mason and brick-layer and he 
erected the present very substantial buildings. He was also a practical 
farmer and took a deep interest in public matters, holding a number of the 
township offices at various times. His political affiliation was with the Re- 
publican party, while in religious faith he was an Adventist. His wife died 
December 24, 1879, following his own decease. 

Thomas Stacy secured his education in the common schools and has 
followed farming all his life. He is the only survivor of a family of five 
children born to his parents. In 1855 Mr. Stacy came to this county and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 211 

purchased one hundred and ten acres of land. Two years later, in 1857, he 
married Miss Nellie Duncan, who was born iii 1837, i" Mahoning county, 
Ohio, and a family of nine children was born to this union, namely : Cyrus ; 
Matilda; Julia; Fitch; Lettie and Lottie, twins; Eva; Turhan; and Alta, de- 
ceased. Mr. Stacy is a stanch Republican and a loyal citizen. He belongs 
to no church, but he leads an exemplary life, and puts into practice what many 
others preach ; and has a wide acquaintance and many attached friends. He 
still conducts his farm of one hundred and eighty acres, doing a general 
line of farming. He owns in connection with his one hundred and eighty 
acres, a farm of fifty acres, in section 27, forty acres in section 28, and twenty 
acres in section 27, making in all two hundred and ninety acres, three oil 
wells and one gas well on this tract of land. 

CHARLES HENRY BIGELOW. 

Born on a farm now included in the corporate limits of Findlay and 
resident here all his life, the subject of this sketch has pursued the "even 
tenor of his way" unobtrusively, fulfilling without ostentation all those duties 
and meeting all the obligations required of a good citizen. He has devoted 
all his time to the peaceful pursuits of farming, his only ambition being a 
desire to be considered a worthy member of that class whose ingenuity and 
enterprise have placed Ohio among the first of American states in all that relates 
to advanced agriculture. Mr. Bigelow is descended, both on the side of father 
and mother, from an ancestry that takes us back to the earliest history of 
America, and to a period very remote in the chronicles of England. The 
genealogy runs to 1243. Henry Bigelow, grandfather of the subject of this 
sketch, was born in Colchester, Connecticut, February 20, 1778, and became 
a man of distinction in New England. He attended Yale College, was grad- 
uated there in 1802, subsequently achieved fame as a Congregational minister, 
and died at Middletown Springs, Vermont, June 25, 1832. His son, Philip 
D. Bigelow, was bom at Middletown Springs, Vermont, December i, 1812, 
came to Ohio in early manhood and settled in Hancock county in 1841. He 
engaged in merchandising at Findlay, which he followed until 1853, when he 
purchased a farm near the city and lived there until his death, which occurred 
August 13, 1868. During his residence in Ohio he acquired a position of 
standing and influence, serving on the State Board of Equalization in 1859- 
60, and for a long period as justice of the peace in Fairfield county. July 
10, 1839, he was appointed by General Wilson Shannon as major of the 
Ohio Militia, and in the discharge of this, as of all other trusts conferred 



212 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

upon him, showed himself to be a man of energy and good business quali- 
fications. May 5, 1840, he was married in Erie county to Harriet Hine 
Frisbie, daughter of Calvin Frisbie, and the three survivors of their five 
children are Frank F., Charles H. and Ella ]., the latter now the wife of 
George L. Cusac, of Findlay. 

Charles Henry Bigelow, second in age of his father's living children, 
was born June 5, 1854, on the farm where he now resides, in the present 
corporate limits of Findlay, Ohio. He grew up on this place and nearness 
to town gave him the benefits of good schools, of which he availed himself to 
acquire a fair education in youth. After leaving college, Mr. Bigelow re- 
turned to his farm, the cultivation and care of which has furnished his contin- 
uous occupation from that time up to the present. He has made a success 
of his business and the appearance of his place indicates that he is a painstak- 
ing as well as an industrious husbandman, October 15, 1879, Mr. Bigelow 
was united in marriage with Miss May, daughter of H. M. Vance, member 
of a substantial family at Findlay. Bernard Barton Bigelow, whose birth 
occurred on the 5th of August, 1882, is the only child of this union. Mr. 
Bigelow is a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, and politically 
in accord with the principles set forth in the platform of the Republican party. 

JOHN PARKER. 

We must turn to the state of Virginia in tracing the genealogy of Mr. 
Parker, who has passed his entire life in Findlay, Ohio, where he has been 
prominent in political and civic affairs and in connection with industrial en- 
terprises of importance. Records extant show that the Parker family has 
long been identified with the annals of American history. Joseph Parker, 
the grandfather of our subject, was born in Virginia, and died in Ohio at 
the age of sixty years. His son Jonathan was likewise born in the Old 
Dominion, in 1808, and was reared and educated in Ohio, learning the 
trade of a carpenter. He came to Findlay, Ohio, in 1831, thus becoming one 
of the pioneers of Hancock county, and he built and operated, in company 
with William Taylor and A. Daughenbaugh, the first steam sawmill in this 
county. He continued to make Findlay his home until his death, which 
occurred in the year 1879, and his life was one of activity and honor, gain- 
ing to him uniform confidence and esteem in the community, while he was 
also known as an able and progressive business man. 

John Parker, the immediate subject of this review, was born in Findlay, 
on the 31st of January, 1842, and here he has ever maintained his home, hav- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 213 

ing received hi-s educational discipline in the public schools and having early- 
become identified with business enterprises. In 1868, under the firm name 
of J. Parker & Company, he became associated with his father and brother 
in the flouring and planing-mill business, and continued to be actively identi- 
fied with the same until 1886, after which he turned his attention to the 
real-estate business, in which he continued until 1894. In that year he was 
elected to the office of county treasurer, being chosen as his own successor in 
1896, and thus serving continuously for four years, giving an acceptable ad- 
ministration of the fiscal affairs of the county. Since his retirement from 
office Mr. Parker has not been actively concerned in any business, though he 
is associated with his brother in the lumber business, under the firm name 
of Parker Brothers. In politics he is a stanch supporter of the Republican 
party and its principles, while fraternally he is identified with the Masonic' 
order. 

FREDERICK J. BICKELHAUPT. 

It is a fact to which due recognition is not always accorded that the 
German element of our national commonwealth has been a very important 
one in advancing the material interests of the nation, but on investigation it 
will be found that a large percentage of the successful business men are 
of German birth or lineage. Mr. Bickelhaupt is a representative of the father- 
land and was long one of the leading and enterprising merchants of Findlay, 
but now after a useful and beneficent career he is living retired at his pleasant 
home in this city, surrounded by the comforts that earnest labor has brought 
to him. 

Frederick J. Bickelhaupt was born near the river Rhine, in Hesse Darm- 
stadt, Germany, in 1843, his father being John Bickelhaupt, who was born in 
the fatherland in 1821, and the latter died in Findlay, Ohio, in 1896. In 
1 85 1 the family bade adieu to their old home in Germany and crossed the 
Atlantic to the United States, locating first in New York city, and a year 
later came to Findlay, where the son, Frederick J., has ever since made his 
home. During his youth he received but limited educational advantages, but 
by reading and observation he has continually broadened his mind and he is 
now a well informed man. During the period of the Civil war he nobly re- 
sponded to the call of his adopted country, and in October, 1862, at Findlay, 
he enlisted as a private in Company G, Fifty-seventh Regiment, Ohio Volun- 
teer Infantry, in which he served for four months, while for the following 
three months he was confined in a hospital, and on the expiration of that 



214 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

period he received an honorable discharge. Returning to his home in Findlay, 
he embarked in the grocery and produce business in this city in partnership 
with his father, which relationship was continued until 1881, when the latter 
retired from the firm. The business, however, was continued by our subject 
until 1896, when he, too, put aside the active cares of a business life and has 
since lived quietly, enjoying the fruits of former toil. His business career 
was one of activity and industry, and his methods have always been in keep- 
ing with the highest principles of fair dealing and with conscientious regard 
for the riglLts of others. 

Mr. Bickelhaupt has been twice married, his first union occurring in 
1870, and in 1894 he was united in marriage to Addie D. Folk, whose father, 
George Folk, is a resident of Findlay. Her ancestors have resided in the 
Buckeye state for many years, and in this commonwealth her maternal grand- 
father, Isaac Pence, was born, and he served as a soldier during the war of 
1812. By his ballot Mr. Bickelhaupt supports the men and measures of the 
Republican party, and in its progress he takes an active and commendable in- 
terest. In his fraternal relations he is a member of the Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows. In the city in which he has so long made his home he stands 
high in public esteem, and is recognized as one of its most loyal and promi- 
nent citizens. 

LOUIS long'brake. 

Prominent among the self-made men and successful agriculturists of 
Jackson township is numbered the subject of this review, who now owns and 
operates a valuable and well improved farm of eighty acres. He was born 
in Fairfield county, Ohio, on the i8th of July, 1843, and in the fall of 1844 
was brought to Hancock county by his parents, Simon and Caroline (Hizey) 
Longbrake, who were born, reared and married in Fairfield county. The 
family is of Holland descent. On coming to Hancock county they located 
in the woods at Union Center, Union township, where the father of our 
subject engaged in farming until 1864, when he removed to Rawson town- 
ship and there also owned and operated a farm. He removed^ to Eagle 
township in 1868 and while living there he and his wife parted, after thirty- 
five years spent together. A year and a half later he was again married and 
subsequently made his home in Rawson and Mount Cor3^ He died at 
Bluff ton in 1894, at the age of seventy-five years. He had two brothers 
living in this county, namely : Emanuel and Perry. The latter, who was 
the last surviving member of the family, resided in Jackson township, and died 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 215 

in March, igoi. In the family of Simon Longbrake were nine children, 
namely: Harrisdn W., a resident of Jackson township; Louis, of this re- 
view; Perry E., a resident of Liberty; Mary C, of Findlay; Daniel; Abraham; 
Thomas; Amanda, and Libby. 

Louis Longbrake made his home with his parents until twenty-six years 
of age, though he spent the winter of 1867-8 in the pine woods of Michigan, 
a'-id then rejoined his father, who in the meantime had removed to Jackson 
township. He subsequently worked by the month as a farm hand until his 
marriage, which was celebrated in 1869, Miss Charlotte E. Houck becom- 
ing his wife. Her father, Jacob F. Houck, lived at Houckton, being the 
founder of that place, which was at first called North Liberty. Unto our 
subject and his wife were born three children: Carrie May, now the wife 
of William Bower, of Houckton; Minnie Maud, wife of Frank 
Davis, who is living with her father; and Charlie Dale, who died of tubercu- 
losis in February, 1902, at the age of twenty-one years, five months 
and fourteen days, after a lingering illness covering several months. His 
death was deeply mourned, not only by his immediate family, but by many 
friends as well. 

After his marriage Mr. Longbrake spent two years and a half on his 
present farm, then owned by Mrs. Rachel Plotner, and in 1875 purchased 
the property, paying thirty-two hundred dollars for eighty acres, but he had 
to go in debt eighteen hundred dollars. When it came into his possession 
the farm was all run down, it being- only partly cleared and but poorly culti- 
vated, while the buildings were in a dilapidated condition. It took five years 
to pay off the debt, and at the end of that time Mr. Longbrake began the 
erection of modern and more substantial buildings. He also laid about 
twenty-five hundred rods of tiling, and has made many other useful and 
valuable improvements until to-day he has one of the best and most desir- 
able farms of its size in Hancock county. He is interested in stock raising and 
feeds most of his crops to his stock. 

By his ballot Mr. Longbrake supports the men and measures of the 
Democracy and has often served as a delegate to county conventions of his 
party, but has never been a politician in the sense of office seeking. He is, 
however, serving as township trustee, having already filled the office one 
term of three years, and has entered upon his second term. He is also serv- 
ing his term as a director of the Mutual Fire & Storm Insurance Company 
of Jackson, Amanda and Delaware townships, which association has about 
four hundred and forty thousand dollars at risk at a very low rate, costing 
about one-fourth as much as ordinary insurance. They insure only country 



2i6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

property, including churches and school houses in the country, and are now 
doing a large business, the company being thoroughly reliable, and having 
at its head some of the best and most successful business men of the locality. 
Mr. Longbrake is a recognized leader in public affairs and is accounted one of 
the most valued citizens of Jackson township. 

JASPER N. HARTMAN. 

A hardy representative of the agricultural class of Hancock county, 
Ohio, is this gentleman, who lives in Marion township, and is well known 
all over the county for his upright and manly principles. His residence, 
which is of modern construction and suitable convenience, is situated on 
the original site of the historic old Marvin Tavern, an institution which saw 
very much of the early pioneer life of the county. This tavern stood on 
its original site for a long number of years, and was regarded as one of 
the institutions of the county, but it became necessary for it to give way for 
a more modern structure, and in 189 1 Mr. Hartman, desiring the site for 
a building, tore it down and built his present commodious dwelling house. 
Mr. Hartman is a practical and successful farmer, owning one hundred and 
thirteen acres of valuable land, on which there is one gas well, supplying his 
home with light and fuel free, the balance belonging to the Findlay Light 
& Coke Company. He was born in Wayne county, Ohio, April 24, 1847, 
and is the son of Samuel and Eva (Whonsetler) Hartman. He received his 
education in the common schools in his native county, where his uneventful 
but. useful life was spent up to 1 870, at which time he removed to Hancock 
county. During the period of his residence in this county he has been 
engaged in agricultural enterprises, and has evinced his superiority above 
the average farmer who knows nothing but to scratch the ground and plant 
the seed. Mr. Hartman has twice tasted of the sweets of matrimony, first 
when he was joined to Mary E. Skinner, on the i8th of September, 1866, 
in his native county, and who bore him seven children, six of these now living, 
Addie L., Franklin M., Rose J., Mary E., John V., and Zella F., who is 
a student attending medical college in Cleveland, and an infant deceased. 
Mrs. Mary E. Hartman, who was a woman of many noble traits of char- 
acter and an excellent mother to this family of children, died on the 28th of 
September, 1885, and in 1888, on the 6th of May, Mr. Hartman was again 
married, this time selecting Emma Smith, a daughter of Isaac and Mary B. 
Smith,^ of Hancock county, Ohio. To this second very felicitous and happy 
union there have been bom six children, namely : Ethel M., Edison C, Ro- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 217 

setta B,, Leila G., Ova F., and an unnamed deceased infant. Mrs. Emma Hart- 
man is a native of Hancock county, and was born in Eagle township on Oc- 
tober 30, 1859. She comes of one of the oldest and most respected families in 
the county, who have been extensive farmers in this section of the country 
for a long period of years. He operated a farm of three hundred and twenty 
acres, and in connection with which was the conduct of an extensive sawmill. 
In his younger days he was a shoemaker by trade, but abandoned that for the 
more congenial vocation of an agriculturist. 

Mr. Hartman, the subject of this immediate review, is a man of excellent 
character, and with a reputation for honesty and uprightness of purpose 
among his associates. While not particularly given to taking part in public 
affairs, he has always done his duty when called upon by his neighbors, and 
has held the different township offices with a great deal of credit to himself 
and pride to his constituents. In religious faith he cleaves to the principles 
promulgated by the old regular Baptists, in which organization he is a prom- 
inent worker. His parents were natives of Washington county, Pennsyl- 
vania, who came to Ohio in the very early days, and settled in Wayne county, 
where they passed their lives and are now deceased. 

SULLIVAN POWELL. 

Sullivan Powell, a young farmer of Liberty township, Hancock county, 
Ohio, is a worthy representative of one of the old pioneer families of Fairfield 
county. His great-grandparents, Peter and Mary (Alspaugh) Powell, en- 
tered that county among its earliest settlers, and later on made a home in 
Hancock county, in which they spent the remainder of their lives. 

Samuel Powell, the grandfather of Sullivan, removed from Fairfield 
to Hancock county in 1834. He married Sarah Robenault, and together 
they worked on the farm obtained from the government, acquired a com- 
petency and reared a family. Of their children, Andrew, who was born on 
May 25, 1827, became well known in Hancock county. His first marriage 
was to Phebe A. Yates, on December 20, i8zj.8, to whom were born six chil- 
dren. Mrs. Phebe Powell died September 15, 1859, and in i860 Andrew 
Powell married Caroline Dotson, who died in 1877, and seven children of 
this union still survive. In 1878 he married Mrs. Sarah A. Longbrake, and 
two children were born to this union. Mr. Powell is well known as an ex- 
perienced man in the bee industry, the products of his apiary bringing hiiri 
large returns. 

Sullivan Powell, who was born March 21, 1865, is a son of Andrew and 



2i8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Caroline (Dotson) Powell, the latter of whom was a native of Pickaway 
county, Ohio. His education was obtained in the country schools and he 
grew to manhood on his father's farm, with but one year of absence, during 
which time he worked for his brother. Thus our subject became a thor- 
oughly practical farmer and his present estate of fifty-seven acres, purchased 
of his father in 1897, shows the effects of intelligent cultivation of the soil. 

On March 4, 1891, our subject was married to Miss Agnes V. Shank, 
who was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, on May 25, 1866, and is a daugh- 
ter of Robert and Mary (Porter) Shank. There were four children by this 
marriage, namely: Marie M., born September 11, 1892; Roy C, born 
August 21, 1895; Arthur E., born November 15, 1898; and Dwight R., born 
February 21, 1902. The father of Mrs. Powell was born in Pennsylvania, 
and her maternal grandfather was a clergyman. 

Mr. Powell is a man whose integrity, coupled with excellent business 
ability, has given him success. He is known as a good neighbor, a kind 
father and devoted husband, in every way fulfilling the duties of a first-class 
citizen. 

W. H. ADELSPERGER. 

It gives the publishers of this volume pleasure to do honor to the old 
soldier element of the county. In the past it has been the custom to give 
recognition only to those who were high in office and took a prominent part 
in the great struggle for the maintenance of the constitution. We believe, 
however, that no man who unselfishly gave his services to his country during 
the dark days of the Civil war should be slighted in written history if it is 
possible to give him mention. We are therefore glad to present to our readers 
the name of one of this honored element. Mr. Adelsperger is at the present 
time a prominent agriculturist residing in Big Lick township, where he owns 
and operates a large tract of four hundred and forty acres of land. He 
is extensively engaged in stock-raising, and is looked upon as one of the best 
farmers in the county. This gentleman was born in Seneca county in June 
of 1842. His father was John Adelsperger, and his mother Lucinda Ricketts. 
The father was a native of Maryland, while the mother was born in Seneca 
county. Their marriage occurred in Seneca county in 1818. Our subject's 
grandfather, Jacob by name, is noted as having been a member of that gallant 
army which repelled British invasion in the war of 1812, and whose martial 
blood is still flowing through the veins of his loyal grandson. John Adel- 
sperger was a prosperous farmer while a resident of Seneca county, and passed 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 219 

there a life of usefulness. He died in the year 1878. Mrs. Adelsperger died 
in early womanhood, the year being- 1846. They reared but three children, 
John F., Joseph A. and W. H. There was a second marriage, however, 
which resulted in the birth of twelve children. Eleven of this last number, 
and one of the first family, are still living. It is remarked that John F., the 
eldest member of the first family, was also a gallant soldier in the Civil 
war, a private in Company D, Sixty-fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer In- 
fantry. At the battle of Spring Hill, Tennessee, he unfortunately was taken 
prisoner and being sent to that horror of horrors, Andersonville Prison, was 
starved there, the date of his death not being known. 

W. H. Adelsperger received his early training and education in Seneca 
county. While still in his "teens" he was apprenticed to the blacksmith 
trade, and was engaged at that occupation when the rumblings of the Civil 
war burst forth in a tempest. He was one of the first to go to the front, 
enlisting in September, 1861, as a private of Company F, Forty-ninth Regi- 
ment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. In this organization, which became a part 
of the Army of the Cumberland, he participated in all the battles which 
that organization fought. At the bloody battle of Stone River he with 
others became detached from the main command, and before they could re- 
join it the entire body was taken prisoners. He, however, did not remain 
long in the enemy's lines, having been paroled and afterwards exchanged. At 
the end of three years he received an honorable discharge, but being of that 
number who did not know when he had enough he immediately re-enlisted, 
ihis time becoming a member of Company D, Sixty-fourth Regiment, Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry. In this organization he engaged in a number of the 
bloody battles of the last year of the war, being present at Franklin, Nash- 
ville and numerous other smaller encounters. In 1865 he was a second time 
honored with discharge, and returned to civil life with the consciousness 
of duty well and bravely done. All honor to the boys in blue, who saved 
the south from rending the constitution. On his return to civil life Mr. 
Adelsperger turned his attention to the carpenter's trade and continued to 
work at this until 1873. In the year 1871 he chose for a life companion Miss 
Sophia, daughter of John and Margaret Kenner. Four children were born 
to the marriage, Minda A., deceased; John F., deceased; Joseph and Milton 
L. The mother of these children is a native of Germany, where she was born 
in 1 85 1. Mr. Adelsperger first began his active farming operations in the 
year of his marriage, when he purchased in Big Lick township one hundred 
and twenty-eight acres, to which he added at different times until he is now 
in possession of one of the largest farms in Hancock county. Mr. Adelsperger 



220 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

is a man of high repute in his immediate section of the county, and he and 
his wife are honored for their many good quahties and excellencies of heart 
and mind. 

GRANT THOMAS. 

Among what may be called the middle generation of farmers in that 
part of Hancock county included in Jackson township, perhaps none are 
better known than Grant Thomas. He is a "native and to the manner born," 
his father being one of the earliest pioneers of the county, and the family 
form a part of Hancock's history for more than eighty years. When John 
S. Thomas, a raw Irish lad just over from the old country, arrived in Han- 
cock county in 1822 there was not much inviting in the prospect. The county 
was still a wilderness, with all the adjuncts of Indians and beasts of prey 
that characterized the west at the first advent of the white man. There had 
been little clearing done as yet, settlers were few and far between, there 
were no roads worthy of the name and altogether the outlook was not en- 
couraging to the young Irish immigrant. But John Thomas was made of 
tough fiber and not to be discouraged by any ordinary hardship or mishap. 
As soon as he grew to manhood he effected an entry of one hundred and 
sixty acres of land, on which he set to work energetically with ax and mat- 
tock and in course of time reduced to presentable shape. Of course it took 
much hard work, all pioneers expected this, but the hope of a smiling home 
and productive farms in time spurred them on from year to year until their 
desires were realized. John S. Thomas prospered and eventually added sixty 
acres to his original purchase of land, all of which by degrees was much 
improved and brought into a high state of cultivation. Personally he is 
described as a kind but firm man in his dealings with his family as well as 
the outside public. His religious affiliations were with the Presbyterian 
church, and his political predilections with the Republican party. He lived 
to advanced age, not dying until 1898, when eighty-three years old. In early 
life he married Elizabeth Camp, who died after leaving him two children. 
Some years later Caroline Hoage became his second wife and the mother of 
five additional children, after which she also joined the "innumerable caravan" 
of the departed. Mr. Thomas' third and last wife was Miss Sarah J. Hall, 
a lady of Irish nativity, who presented him with two children and survives as 
his widow, at the age of sixty-four years. Of the nine children by the 
three marriages the eight survivors are: Sarah J. Gilbert, Marie J. Mc- 
Dowell, Henry A., Phebe Damon, Tillie Phillips, Mary Wisely, John M. and 
Grant. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 221 

It will be seen from the foregoing that Grant Thomas was the young- 
est of the third set of children, and his birth occurred May 28, 1863. He was 
reared on his father's farm, trained by that strict disciplinarian to a life of 
industry and after he reached maturity always followed agricultural pursuits. 
In 1898, after the death of his father, he effected the purchase of the interest 
of all the other heirs in the family estate and now owns and resides upon 
the old homestead. This includes the land originally entered by his father, 
but the farm now consists of two hundred and twenty acres and is devoted to 
general agriculture and stock-raising. 

In July, 1885, Mr. Thomas was united in marriage with Miss Amanda 
Greenland, a native of Cincinnati, but they have no children. Mr. Thomas' 
fraternal connections are confined to membership in the Independent Order 
of Odd Fellows, and he takes considerable interest in the affairs of the lodge. 
As a farmer he has been both prosperous and popular, managing his fine 
patrimonial estate with discretion and good judgment. Everybody in the 
township knows Grant Thomas and it could be added with equal truth that 
everybody likes him. 

CLINTON A. CHAMBERS. 

Though a young man and only connected with farming matters as a 
proprietor for three or four years, Clinton A. Chambers gives promise of 
proving a "worthy descendant of an honored sire," as his father has long 
been known as one of the model farmers of the county. The founders of the 
Ohio branch of the family, as stated elsewhere, were early settlers of Craw- 
ford county. When Elias and Catherine (Stockman) Chambers, grandpar- 
ents of our subject, came to that part of Ohio in 1825, they found much of the 
country still covered by the virgin wilderness. Possessed, however, of the 
pioneer spirit so characteristic of those days, the young couple faced their 
task resolutely and set to work to hew out a home from the forest. Securing 
possession of one hundred and twenty acres of land, all overgrown with the 
heavy timber and underbrush so characteristic of the Ohio valley, the new- 
comers with infinite pains cut down and hewed out the necessary lumber 
for the rude cabin in which subsequently their family of seven children were 
raised. One of these, the fifth in order of birth, was named David and after 
he reached maturity he decided to seek his fortune in Hancock county. The 
first few years were laborious and trying, but finally he got employment with 
an uncle and eventually became the owner of the latter's farm. On that 
place, now one of the most highly cultivated in the county, he still resides 



222 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

and considering his start from nothing, without capital or influence, it is clear 
that he must have had great energy and force of character to have achieved 
such a success. 

David Chambers married Sarah A. Sargent, daughter of pioneer par- 
ents from West Virginia, and by her had the following named children : 
Nora C, David V., Greeley, Delia, Clinton, Cora and Wesley. Clinton 
Chambers, one of those above mentioned, is the immediate subject of this 
sketch. He was born in Big Lick township, Hancock county, Ohio, August 
28, 1873, ^*^d attended the district schools, where he proved an apt scholar and 
made good use of his time. Between sessions, he got the benefit of farm 
training by working in the fields and at other details connected with agri- 
culture. Thus equipped, he was ready for business when in 1898 he became 
owner of the eighty acres of land which he is now cultivating. The soil 
is rich and productive and Mr. Chambers is making it remunerative by close 
attention and good management. 

In the same year that he took possession of his farm, Mr. Chambers 
was married to Miss Rose B., daughter of S. B. and Elma Lindower, a 
popular young lady, whose birth occurred in Big Lick township, November 
20, 1878. Mrs. Chambers' grandfather, Charles Lindower, was a native 
of Germany, who came to this country and settled in Hancock county, about 
1836. He reared a family who became useful and loyal citizens and died at 
the age of seventy years. His son, the father of Mrs. Chambers, lived in 
this county some years and then removed to Stark county, of which he is 
still a resident. Mr. and Mrs. Chambers have two bright little children: 
Hazel M., born May 29, 1899; ^^^d David F., born October 21, 1901. 

FRANK RUSSELL. 

This well known and highly respected citizen of Jackson township, who 
is successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits, is a native of Ohio, his birth 
having occurred in Bloom township. Wood county, on the ist of September, 
1853. His parents, John and Lois (May) Russell, were natives of Ohio 
and New York, respectively, but were married in Pennsylvania. They made 
their home in Wood county, this state, where the father entered forty acres 
of government land and later secured additional land to the amount of two 
hundred acres, which was all wild and unimproved when it came into his 
possession, but which he transformed into a good farm. As one of the 
prominent and influential citizens of his community he was called upon to 
fill the office of county commissioner and justice of the peace, the duties of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 223 

which positions he discharged in a most capable and satisfactory manner. In 
poHtics he was first a Democrat, but when the Repnbhcan party was formed 
to prevent the further extension of slavery he joined its ranks, and continued 
one of its stanch supporters throughout the remainder of his life. He died 
upon his farm December 24, 1884, at the age of seventy-one years, and his 
widow survived him until January 17, 1890, when she passed away, at the 
age of seventy. They had eleven children. Caroline died of typhoid fever 
while young; Benton died in the service during the Rebellion; Mary and 
John reside at Bloomdale ; Homer lives in Hancock county near Bloomdale ; 
Pierce was killed by the shears while shearing sheep ; Frank is noticed below ; 
James died of inflammatory rheumatism; Lois died of typhoid fever; Ada- 
line lives at Youngstown, Ohio ; Lorinda Jane died of diphtheria while young. 

Until twenty-six years of age Frank Russell remained at home giving 
his father the benefit of his labors upon the farm. He was then married on 
the 27th of March, 1880, to Miss Catherine Elizabeth Blair, of Wood county, 
who was born in Maryland, but grew to womanhood in Seneca and Wood 
counties, Ohio, her family having removed from Maryland during the Civil 
war. She became self-supporting at the early age of eight years and being 
a very industrious and capable woman she has been to her husband a faith- 
ful companion and helpmate. Unto them have been born nine children, as 
follows: William L., Charles, Lulu, Orville, Berl, Harry, Nellie, Maud and 
Dewey J. All are at home with the exception of Orville, who died February 
14, 1902, at the age of fourteen years and six months, his death resulting 
from blood poison contracted from verdigris from a mouth organ. His sys- 
tem had previously been weakened by la grippe and death ensued. 

Prior to his marriage Mr. Russell had purchased eighty acres of land 
from his father and in five years' work had paid five hundred dollars on it, 
but still owed two hundred dollars at the end of that time. During the 
v>?-inter months he devoted his attention to cutting the timber off the land 
and converting it into staves. His first team was a yoke of oxen and with 
teams he performed his farm work for a year after his marriage. When 
he brought his bride to her new home he had only five acres of his land cleared 
and the only improvement in the way of buildings was a log house, but he 
was able to make a living off his land, supplementing his income by the sale 
of the timber on his land and by working his father's lands. During the 
eight years he resided upon that farm he cleared twenty-five acres and placed 
it under cultivation. As it was flat country in the Black Swamp, he had to 
pay a heavy ditch tax, amounting to over four hundred dollars. Gas and 
oil were finally discovered in the vicinity of his farm and as property rose 



224 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

in value he sold out for six thousand dollars and bought his present farm in 
Jackson township, Hancock county, which is pleasantly located four and a 
half miles southeast of Findlay. His first purchase consisted of one hun- 
dred and one acres, for which he paid seventy dollars per acre, and he has 
added to this tract until he now has one hundred and thirty-one acres, on 
which he has made a number of useful and valuable improvements, including 
the erection of a barn and the remodeling of his residence. He has also 
laid considerable tiling and now has one of the best farms in Jackson town- 
ship, whereon he is successfully engaged in farming and stock-raising, mak- 
ing a specialty of Shropshire sheep. Since attaining his majority he has 
always affiliated with the Republican party, and has been a delegate to its 
conventions, but has never been a politician in the sense of office seeking. He 
is one of the representative men of his community and is held in high regard 
by all who know him. 

MARTIN L. WISELEY. 

Martin L. Wiseley, who is a representative of the People's Ice and Coal 
Company, at Findlay, belongs to that class of wide-awake, enterprising busi- 
ness men who ha\T led to the rapid development of Ohio and of all sections 
of the country. He is yet a young man, but has already attained a success 
that many an older man might well envy. He was born upon a farm in 
Marion township, Hancock county, Ohio, on the 24th of December, 1871. 
The Wiseley family is of Scotch descent and was founded in America at an 
early day. Allen Wiseley, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of 
Fairfield county, Ohio. \Villiam P. Wiseley, the father of our subject, was 
born in Hancock county, Ohio, and here died in 1875. He was a farmer and 
stock buyer, carrying on business on an extensive scale and his active opera- 
tions enabled him to provide well for his family. He left two sons, Martin 
L., and William P. 

Martin L. Wiseley, whose name introduces this record, spent the first 
four years of his life upon the old farmstead in Marion township and was 
then left an orphan. After his parents' death he was taken to Leslie, Michi- 
gan, wliere he was reared by his grandparents until he had attained the age 
of sixteen years, during which time he attended school and acquired a good 
practical education to fit him for life's duties. After that time he and his 
brother Will P. returned to the old home farm in Hancock county, Ohio, and 
the subject of this review devoted his energies to agricultural pursuits until 
1901. As the 3^ears passed his farm work brought to him good returns. His 




MR. AHD MRvS. MARTIN L. WISELEY. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 225 

fields were always under a high state of cultivation and his energy and enter- 
prise were manifest in the neat and comfortal)le appearance of his place. On 
his removal to Findlay in the year 1901, he joined his brother in the ice and 
coal business and they are now dealing in these two commodities which are so 
essential to the comfort and welfare of man. They have secured a liberal 
patronage, which is constantly increasing as their honorable business methods 
and reliabilit}^ are recognized. 

Martin L. Wiseley was married in Findlay in the year 1897 to Miss 
Clara Adams, a daughter of Philip Adams, and they now have two children : 
Charles M., and Bernice M. In his political views Mr. Wiseley is a Repub- 
lican, and for four years, from 1897, he served as trustee of his native town- 
ship. Much of his life has been passed in Hancock county and he is widely 
known among its citizens as a young man of excellent business ability, hon- 
orable and straightforward in all his dealings and one who well merits the 
success which has crowned his efforts. 

DAVID T. DAVIS. 

David T. Davis, who since June, 1899, has been state inspector of high 
explosives, is successfully engaged in the oil producing business, at Findlay, 
Ohio, and is one of the substantial and representative citizens of that place. 

The birth of Mr. Davis occurred in 1852, on a farm in Marion town- 
ship, Hancock county, Ohio, and he is a son of William and Margaret 
(Lafferty) Davis, the former of whom was born in 1810, in Cumberland, 
Maryland, and died in 1863. He was a very prominent citizen and was 
notable in being the only Republican who was elected commissioner of Han- 
cock county in many years. For fourteen years he served as justice of the 
peace, and was esteemed and valued for his many admirable qualities of 
mind and heart. In 1831 he married Margaret Lafferty, and eleven chil- 
dren were born to them, nine of whom still survive. The father of this 
family served in the Mexican war as a captain of a company, and his sons 
displayed a loyal devotion when the country again called for assistance. 
Of these, William and Isaac O. served during short terms in the Civil war. 
John W. enlisted in the Forty-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was severely 
wounded in the hip at Chickamauga and at Stone River was captured and 
held as a prisoner for five months, enduring at this time the horrors of Ander- 
sonville and Libby. He now resides at Findlay, Ohio. 

David T. Davis was reared in Hancock county, Ohio, and there acquired 
his education, and followed agricultural pursuits until he was twenty-two 



226 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

years old. Then lie went to Findlay and became one of the organizers of 
the wholesale and retail grocery firm of Davis, Detweiler & Company, which 
business was successfully conducted in this city for a period of eight years. 
After selling his interest, our subject was engaged in various lines of activity 
until 1887, when he embarked in the real estate business, in which he is still 
engaged. In 1888 Mr. Davis became interested in the oil producing business 
and has been very successful in this line. His reliability as a business man 
resulted in his appointment in June, 1899, by Governor Bushnell, as state 
inspector of high explosives, and his careful attention to the duties of this 
office has been of the greatest value and a protection to lives and property. 
In 1877 Ml"- Davis was married, at Clyde, Ohio, to Miss Eva K. Barney, 
who is a daughter of W. Z. Barney, and the three children born to this 
union are: Donald W., Leila M. and Catherine E. In fraternal association 
our subject belongs to the order of Knights of Pythias, No. 400, taking an 
active interest in its work. He is well known in this city and is highly regarded 
as a just business man and public-spirited citizen. 

MILTON A. PILCHER. 

Milton A. Pilcher is of English descent. His parents, William and 
Mary A. (Wingate) Pilcher, are still living. Both are natives of England 
and both emigrated to America in 1852, William remaining for about one 
year in the city of New^ York before trying his fortune in Hancock county. He 
worked assiduously, acquiring considerable city property, and in due time 
entered into matrimonial relations with the bride of his choice. He was 
married at Findlay to Mary A. Wingate, a lady of English nativity, and the 
family remained in Hancock county until 1875. Here six of his nine chil- 
dren were born, of whom eight are still living. Three children were born in 
Putnam county, whither the family removed in 1875, and where the parents 
still live. 

Milton A. Pilcher was born in Marion township, this county, October 
10, 1859, was educated at Findlay and engaged in various employments, 
finally selecting the occupation of farming. November 3, 1887, he married 
Lavina J., daughter of Thomas D. and Mary A. Callison, who was born m 
Blanchard township, October 11, 1869. Her parents had three children, of 
whom she alone survives. The father, Thomas D. Callison, was born in 
Indiana December 3, 1832, and died in 1888; the mother, a native of Penn- 
sylvania, was born May 16, 1838, and died May 6, 1901, on the farm that 
Mr, Pilcher bought in September of the same year. Mr. and Mrs. Pilcher 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 227 

are the parents of three bright children: Waher H., born July 31, 1888; 
William T., born March 15, 1891 ; and Floyd V., born September 16, 1900. 
Fraternally Mr. Pilcher is a member of the Knights of Pythias. Though 
still a comparatively young man, he has established himself firmly and has 
a bright promise for the future among the successful agriculturists of Han- 
cock county. His one hundred acres in Liberty township attest his ability 
to cope with the varying situations that present themselves to farmers, and 
indicate the presence of an industrious and progressive proprietor. In politics 
Mr. Pilcher is a Democrat. 

JACOB BOHN. 

Among the young, energetic and successful farmers of Hancock county 
is the gentleman above named, who operates a farm of one hundred acres 
in Washington township. The success with which he has been attended so 
far in life is an earnest of what may be expected in the future of this promising 
agriculturist. The methods of which he makes use in the culture of his 
well tilled fields, are those which, backed by sound business judgment in the 
turning of his crops into currency, are bound to win in the end. Jacob 
Bohn was born in the county of Seneca, Ohio, in 1865, and there passed 
the entire period of his youth, removing to Hancock county with ' 
his parents in 1884. He received in the ordinary country school an 
education that is entirely sufficient for his needs in the prosescution 
of business. When he came to manhood he chose for himself the free 
and independent life of the farmer, in wdiich calling he can study the great 
book of nature and see the hand of Deity in every blade and shrub. Like 
one of old, he thinks God's thoughts after him. He is a consistent and 
active member and worker in the German Reformed church, in which organi- 
zation he is serving at the present time as an elder. He w^as also for a consid- 
erable period superintendent of the Sunday-school, and it is remembered that 
the school under his management increased in number and in the influence 
exerted on the youth of the community. 

In the year 1888 occurred that event in the life of our subject which he 
legards possibly as the most important of his life, when he was joined in 
marriage to Miss Anna, daughter of John and Elizabeth Romig. To this 
felicitous union were bom four interesting children, Etho H., Clarence J., 
Mary E. and Carl E. The mother of this family is a lady of many graces of 
character, and is a native of the Buckeye state, having been born in Seneca 
county in 1866. Mr. Bohn has never interested himself very particularly 



228 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

in political life, but exercises the right of suffrage regularly at each elec- 
tion, supporting the Democratic ticket. He is the son of Jacob and Kath- 
erine (Stuckey) Bohn, and as may be suspected from the name, these par- 
ents were of German origin, the father having been born in the fatherland in 
1835 and the mother in 1830. The father emigrated to this country when 
a young man of twenty-one, his wife, whom he married in this country, 
making the voyage across the sea in 1855. He located in Tiffin, Seneca 
county, Ohio, near which village he bought a farm of eighty acres, where 
he lived for some fourteen years. In 1884 he removed to Hancock county, 
where he purchased the farm now owned by his widow, which contains 
one hundred acres. Jacob Bohn, Sr., besides being a prominent and suc- 
cessful agriculturist, was a skilled stone mason, as many of the residences 
of Hancock county give ample evidence. Coupled with the German penchant 
for hard physical labor, a superior business judgment made him quite suc- 
cessful, and he left at his death a very comfortable competence to his widow 
and children. He commanded the confidence of the public in a high degree, 
was a consistent member of the German Reformed church and was hon- 
ored in that organization with many of its important trusts. His marriage 
to Katherine Stuckey took place in 1858, in Tiffin, Ohio, and there were 
six children born to them, two only of whom are now living : Laura, wife of 
Alvin Romig, who lives in Seneca county, and Jacob, who forms the immedi- 
ate subject of this review. After a useful and blameless life the father died in 
1885, at the age of fifty-two years, but his widow survives. 

At the age of thirty-seven it would seem that Mr. Bohn is destined, 
if one may judge by his past experience, to become one of the most influ- 
ential citizens of his county. He and his wife are most respected residents 
of their immediate community, and are held in the very highest esteem by the 
people of Hancock county. 

ROBERT B. MOTHERWELL. 

When the above named was suddenly called to his last account, in the 
summer of 1902, Findlay lost perhaps her most popular and certainly one of 
her most enterprising citizens. Mr. Motherwell had been identified with the 
growth and development of the town for fifteen years, coming in the midst 
of the famous boom, and during his residence acquired a strong hold upon 
the esteem and even affections of the community. Besides being an energetic 
man of business he possessed a suavity of manner, cordiality of demeanor 
and geniality of address that drew to him hosts of friends and admirers and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 229 

gave him easy access to the hearts of all. In fact, no other man ever came 
to Findlay and in so short a time made such a complete conquest of the good 
will of her people, regardless of clan or class, and his sudden taking off was 
a cause of such sincere mourning as seldom follows any private citizen to his 
final resting place. This strong character was of Scottish origin and a son 
of Alexander and Jane Motherwell, a worthy and industrious couple, who 
spent their whole lives in the famous little country of the north. Robert 
B. Motherwell was born near Glasgow, November 5, 1845, and remained in 
the land of his nativity until eighteen years old. Having learned the trade 
of heavy blacksmithing he determined to seek his fortune in the new world, 
and in 1863 found himself on a boat bound for the northeast coast of the 
United States. The young Scotchman landed at Portland, Maine, and not 
long afterward obtained employment in the Casco Bay Forge Works, then 
engaged on contracts for the government. This lasted until 1866, when Mr. 
Motherwell removed to Pittsburg, where he secured work in the rolling mill 
of Reese, Graft & Bayers, with whom he remained two years. In 1868 he 
went to Lancaster, Ohio, and in partnership with his brothers, James and 
William, established what later became well known as the Motherwell Shovel 
& Spade Works. In 1881 Mr. Motherwell and his brother James founded 
at Logan the iron and steel works known by their name. 

It was in 1887 that Mr. Motherwell came to Findlay, at the time it 
was inveloped in the great boom of that period, due to the discovery of gas 
and oil, and he plunged into its activities with the energy that always charac- 
terized his efforts. He immediately became a factor in affairs by purchasing 
the bottling and ice establishment of E. Bacher, which he conducted jointly for 
a while and then dropped the ice department, confining himself exclusively to 
bottling. His business venture proved successful, and it was not long until 
his manners made him so popular that he was in request as a candidate for 
various places of responsibility. He was a member of the water works board 
many years and also served a term or two on the board of election. In politics 
he was a Democrat of the Jeffersonian school, and so highly esteemed was he 
by his associates that any honor the party had to confer was at his service. 
But, though strenuous in the advocacy of his principles, he did. not seem to 
care much for office, preferring to devote his time to business. 

Mr. Motherwell was quite prominent in fraternal circles, being especially 
conspicuous in the Order of Elks. He was a charter member of both the 
local and grand lodges of that popular fraternity and had passed through 
all the chairs, including the office of exalted ruler. He was also connected 
with the Masons and the Pathfinders, and at one time was the supreme officer 



230 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

of the Findlay Court of Ben Hur. January i8, 1870, Mr. Motherwell was 
married, at Lancaster, Ohio, to Louise Rich, by whom he had seven children : 
Harriet M., Alice M., Jeannette F., Lola M., Grace S., Mary L. and Robert 
R. In the summer of 1897 Mr. Motherwell suffered a paralytic stroke, which 
proved to be serious in its results and few thought he could recover, but his 
strong constitution pulled him through and it was hoped he had before him 
many years of usefulness. Death, however, came very suddenly at an early 
hour on the morning of Friday, July 12, 1902, as the result of an ailment, the 
exact nature of which the attending physician was unable to diagnose. The 
announcement of this sad and unexpected event caused a great shock in Find- 
lay and sincere mourning among all its inhabitants. The Findlay Daily Re- 
publican, published on the day of his death, paid the following warm tribute 
to the memory of the distinguished dead : "The demise of Mr. Motherwell 
ends the career of one of Findlay's highest prized citizens. It would be a 
difficult matter to find a man possessing equal popularity. It has been said 
that he had not an enemy in the world, this desirable state being acquired 
by his numerous excellent traits of character. Wherever known he was 
recognized as a man possessing courtesy, affability, good nature and other 
desirable qualities to a remarkable degree. Mr. Motherwell's memory will be 
deeply cherished as a man among men." 

RUFUS W. BENNETT. 

The above named is -one of the most successful and progressive agricul- 
turists of Jackson township, within whose borders he has made his home 
throughout life, his birth occurring there October 28, 1852. His father, 
Rufus Hiram Bennett, was born in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, December 
22, 1 80 1, and was the youngest of seven brothers, whose parents were Rufus 
and Martha (Bennett) Bennett. The grandfather of our subject was with 
Washington at the time of Braddock's defeat and hung to General Braddock's 
horse's tail in order to escape, killing two Indians who followed. 

On arriving at man's estate Rufus H. Bennett was married February 
15, 1832, at his birthplace, to Miss Henrietta Leader, who was also born 
there July 25, 1806, a daughter of Christian and Mary Leader. By this union 
were born the following children : Euphemia, who became the wife of James 
T. Hoy, a farmer of Amanda township, this county; Sanford L., who died 
October 17, 1855, at the age of twenty-one years and twenty-one days; 
William H. Harrison, who enlisted September i, 1861, in Company F, Fifty- 
seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantr3% for service in the Civil war and died at the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 231 

hospital in Paducah, Kentucky, March 23, 1862, unmarried, at the age of twen- 
ty-five years and eight months; Martha, widow of Peter Treece and a resi- 
dent of Mount Blanchard; Rawson Corwin, a resident of Jackson township; 
Lydia, wife of Adam Haley, of Findlay; Emily, wife of George W. Foreman, 
of Portland, Indiana; Mary Ellen, wife of S. M. Miller, of Findlay; and 
Rufus William. 

Rufus H. Bennett, the father of our subject, came to Hancock county, 
Ohio, in the spring of 1835 ^^'^^ selected his land. He had been keeping a 
hotel in Wilkesbarre, Pennsylvania, and after disposing of his business there 
his partner absconded with the results of the sale, so that Mr. Bennett was 
able to bring all his worldly possessions to Ohio in a one-horse wagon, driving 
an Indian pony thirty years old. He started west without any special destina- 
tion, making his way up the Upper Sandusky to Fort Findlay. For some 
distance he followed a blazed trail through the woods, and cut his own road. 
In the midst of the forest he settled upon land which he secured, and for 
one month lived in his covered wagon while he cleared an acre of ground 
and sowed it to buckwheat. He then erected his cabin, which was his home 
for twelve years, and was then replaced by a more modern and substantial 
residence on the road. It was built in 1858 and is still standing, being owned 
by the heirs of Moses Elsea. It was one of the first frame houses in Jack- 
son township, the lumber being cut in Findlay. Mr. Bennett's original farm 
is now owned by others. He placed his land under high cultivation and kept 
adding to it from time to time until he had four hundred acres, but before 
his death he gave eighty acres to a daughter. His last years were passed upon 
a farm adjoining the old homestead, which was known as the Leader farm, 
having been settled by his wife's people. It is still in possession of the fam- 
ily. After coming to Ohio Mr. Bennett engaged in farming and became 
widely known as a breeder and raiser of fine horses, his stock being considered 
the choicest of the entire county. At one time he was engaged in buying 
horses and took quite a number from this state back to Pennsylvania to sell. 
After a useful and well spent life he died, March 25, 1868, honored and 
respected by all who knew him, and his estimable wife passed away in April, 

1873- 

Rufus W. Bennett, youngest of the children of this pioneer couple, 
passed his boyhood and youth under the parental roof and remained with his 
father until the latter's death, being the only son left at home. He still owns 
one hundred and twenty acres of the farm, the balance of the estate being 
cither sold or divided, while this is his share of the property. He has bought 
more land and now owns three hundred and sixty acres, divided into three 



232 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

farms, one of which is operated by his son and another by his brother. His 
home place is the old Jacob Twining homestead, consisting of one hundred and 
twenty acres, which is well improved and under excellent cultivation. Mr. 
Bennett has cleared about thirty acres and laid considerable tiling, and is 
now successfully engaged in general farming and stock-raising, feeding cat- 
tle, hogs and sheep of a high grade. He paid sixty-two and a half dollars per 
acre for his land and it is now quite valuable property. 

On the 14th of March, 1878, Mr. Bennett was united in marriage to 
Miss Mary C. Miller, a daughter of William B. and Jane (Martin) Miller, 
of Marion township, where her birth occurred. She completed her educa- 
tion in the schools of Findlay, and at the age of seventeen began teaching, fol- 
lowing that profession quite successfully in Marion, Jackson and Allen town- 
ships, this county, up to the time of her marriage, when twenty-four years 
of age. Her parents were early settlers of Marion township, where they 
located in 1847, and where her father entered one hundred and sixty acres of 
land. He is still living, at the age of seventy-seven years. Unto Mr. and 
Mrs. Bennett were born eight children who are still living, while one son, 
Rawson, died in infancy. The surviving members of the family are Lloyd 
DeWitt, who married Zetta Thompson and operates the old homestead; 
Noble Garfield, a successful teacher of Hancock county ; Edna, who attended 
both the Blanchard high school and Findlay College, and is a teacher of Van 
Wert county; Hazel, Mark, Miller, Julia and Ella, all at home. 

In his political views Mr. Bennett is a stanch Republican and has been 
a delegate to the conventions of his party, but has never cared for the honors 
or emoluments of public office. He and his family are active and consistent 
members of the Salem United Brethren church, in which he is at preserit 
serving as trustee and class leader, and he has been a delegate to the general 
conferences of his church. Upright and honorable in all things, he com- 
mands the confidence and respect of those with whom he comes in contact 
either in business or social life, and is held in high regard by all who know 
him. 

CHRISTIAN OVERHOLT. 

It is a pleasing task to touch upon the salient points in the records of a 
family which has had very much to do with placing Hancock among the very 
first counties of the state in point of agricultural supremacy. The immediate 
members of the family of which we shall speak are Sherman and Charles 
Overholt, giving especial attention also to Christian Overholt, their deceased 




J^cM'u^Xyhi^n^^/tA^^'^^l^ 



^)i 







/rcJ/tionj (^4/f/r//^iSi^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 233 

father. Christian Overholt was a well known citizen of Cass township, who, 
from common work hand about the farm, had climbed to the top round of 
the ladder among his fellow citizens and this was done by his own industry 
and business sagacity. He was born a poor boy in Westmoreland county, 
Pennsylvania, March 4, 1827, was early imbued with the idea of the value 
of money and established a habit of saving which soon placed him in a position 
to begin the active career for which he is remembered. He purchased a farm 
and began the battle of life for himself, choosing as a helpmate Catherine 
Leighty, to whom he was married at the age of twenty-five. The three chil- 
dren by this union, all natives of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, were: 
Lizzie, born March 4, 1854; Alsinus, born in 1857; and Ella, born in 1859. 
The family removed to Hancock county in i860, where Mr. Overholt pur- 
chased a farm of two hundred and forty acres, upon which there were few 
improvements besides the large brick residence. During his lifetime he took 
pride in improving this farm, and before he died it became one of the nicest 
properties of the kind in Hancock county. The family which he brought to 
Hancock county, mentioned above, was increased here by the birth of Charles 
in i860; Clarence (deceased) in 1862; Frank (deceased) in 1864; Sherman, 
November i, 1867; Edgar, in February, 1870; and Bertha (deceased), born 
in 1872 and died in 1888. As remarked before, Christian Overholt was a 
hard working man, honest and upright in all his dealings with his fellow- 
men. He frequently responded to the desire of his fellow citi- 
zens and administered the different township offices. He was an accept- 
able member of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which organization he was 
a most liberal supporter, and voted the Republican ticket. His wife passed 
away in October, 1894, and after surviving her four years, he rejoined her 
"on the other side," January 9, 1898. In his death Hancock county lost a 
worthy citizen. 

Charles Overholt, second son of Christian, passed his boyhood days on 
the farm where he has since resided. He is a respected citizen, and for the 
past six years has been the efficient trustee of the township. He is also prom- 
inently identified with the school interests of his district, being now a mem- 
ber of the school board, and having served for a number of years in that 
body. He takes a great interest in everything that advances the interest of 
his immediate community. Fraternally, he affiliates with that popular or- 
ganization, the Knights of Pythias. Ever since the discovery of oil he has 
been an interested party and is at the present time one of the extensive oil 
producers of Hancock county, operating nine wells. In 1886 Mr. Overholt 
was married to Miss Clara, daughter of J- B. and Lizzie Linhart, whose 

15 



234 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

family will be found mentioned elsewhere in this volume. This lady pre- 
sented Mr. Overholt with five children: Gail, Virgil, Dean, Zoie and 
Charles C. 

Sherman, another worthy son of Christian Overholt, resides with his 
brother on the old homestead, where he was born, reared and educated. No- 
vember 25, 1896, he led to the marriage altar Miss Nettie Berger, a native 
of Mahoning county, Ohio, and a daughter of Jacob and Laura (Reed) Ber- 
ger. Mr. and Mrs. Sherman Overholt have three children : Edna M., born 
December 3, 1897; Carl S., born September 12, 1900; and Mildred, born 
March 30, 1902. 

It is not a light thing to be the son of a w^orthy father. There is a re- 
sponsibility connected with sustaining the reputation of a family already es- 
tablished by previous members that should sober and broaden the character 
of the later representatives of the name. So it has been in the present case. 
The brothers herein mentioned have taken up life's duties and are following 
closely in the footsteps of their revered father. Their word is as good as their 
bond, and in all of their dealings they are straightforward and honorable, 
commanding the respect of all with whom they are associated. 

JOSEPHUS C. VAN EMAN. 

This name has been an honored one in Hancock county for seven decades. 
The deceased subject of this sketch was the son of one of the old pioneers 
of Hancock county, Rev. George Van Eman, who, for a long period of 
years, was a minister in the Presbyterian church and did much pioneer work 
in the ministry in organizing churches in new places when this county was 
in its early growth. The result of his preaching can be seen today in the 
churches of Findlay, Van Buren and other places in and outside the county. 
His work was done mostly, if not altogether, in the saddle. He was a 
native of Washington county, Pennsylvania, born April 23, 1786. He grew 
to maturity in that county, and there married, September 3, 1810, Maria 
Cooper, a native also of the Keystone state, born March 14, 1791. They 
removed to Blanchard township, in Hancock county, in 1835. They were the 
parents of six children: Alexander, born August 7, 1812; John S., March 2, 
1816; Katherine; September 19, 1818; J. C, June 4, 1821; Rebecca J., Sep- 
tember 25, 1823; Sara L., October 20, 1827. All of these are now deceased 
except the last named. The Rev. George Van Eman was twice married, his 
second wife being Mrs. Sara S. Flanagan, who was born June 5, 1790, and 
died June 14, 1871. His first wife died June 26, 1839. After a long and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 235 

useful life in the service of his Master, Rev. George Van Eman passed to his 
reward, the date being March 12, 1877. 

The gentleman whose name heads this sketch was born in Green county, 
Pennsylvania, on the date given above. He was fourteen years of age when 
he came with his father. Rev. George Van Eman, to this county. Here he 
was reared and educated. He took advantage of his educational privileges 
to fit himself for the profession of teaching, which he followed in this county 
for a number of years. In 1852 he became infected with the gold fever, and 
made the trip to California, in which state he remained for six years. He 
returned, however, and in i860 purchased eighty acres of land in Cass town- 
ship, being almost in its primitive state. To this he subsequently added fifty 
acres, finishing the number with twenty acres more, making in all one hundred 
and fifty acres. On this farm there are now thirty producing oil wells. Mr. 
Van Eman was twice married. His first venture was with Margaret Carmel 
in 1858, by which union there was no issue. This lady died June 30, 1861, 
and on April 3, 1862, he married Mary E. Hollingshead, who bore him 
three children: George F., born August 30, 1863; John L., December 31, 
1865, and William E., March 26, 1871. During the entire period of his 
adult life Josephus Van Eman was a prominent and respected resident of 
Cass township, and proved himself in all respects worthy of the confidence 
reposed in him by his fellow citizens. He was engaged as clerk for his brother 
in Findlay for a period, and subsequently was a clerk in the auditor's office. 
He served in his own township as clerk for a period of nine years. He was 
a devout communicant of the Presbyterian church of Van Buren, in which he 
served as elder. He voted w^ith the Republican party. He was a thrifty, 
practical man, whose friends were counted by the score. By his death, which 
occurred March 17, 1891, at the age of sixty-nine years, the community suf- 
fered a severe loss. George F. Van Eman, his eldest son, married Elizabeth 
Smith, December 4, 1886, and has one child, Charles R. John L. married 
Martha E. Linhart, whose family is elsewhere mentioned in this volume, 
and William E. married Ella Gibson, a native of Columbiana county. 

WILLIAM C. ALFORD. 

Among the stream of emigrants contributed to Ohio during her forma- 
tive period by the famous Empire state of the Union, none did more in pro- 
portion to their means in aiding development and progress than the family 
which bears the name given at the head of this sketch. Zina and Aurilla 
(Orton) Alford were originally from York, New Jersey, and Massachu- 



236 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

setts, respectively, but subsequently lived for twenty years in Steuben county. 
New York. In 1848 they removed to Hancock county, Ohio, where Mr. 
Alford became the owner of sixty-five acres of land, to the cultivation of which 
he devoted the later years of his life. At an earlier period he had learned 
the tanner's and shoemaker's trades, which constituted his principal occu- 
pation for a number of years. Zina Alford was always looked upon as an 
honest, industrious man, who wronged nobody, attended strictly to his own 
business and enjoyed general neighborhood esteem. His death occurred in 
1882 and it was a general remark by those who attended the obsequies that 
the community had lost a good citizen. William C. Alford, son of the above 
mentioned and the subject of this biography, was born in Steuben county, 
New York, August 18, 1815, and grew up during the residence of his parents 
in that eastern community. He picked up such learning as could be obtained 
'oy irregular attendance at. the district schools, but as soon as he arrived at 
manhood the parental roof was abandoned for a contest with the world on 
his own account. His first location was in Pennsylvania where he remained 
one year and then concluded to try his fortunes across the Ohio border. 
Two years were spent in Franklin county, followed by a residence of eight 
years in Marion county, and the year 1848 found him in Hancock county, 
Ohio, which was destined to be his permanent abode and the theater 
of all his future life's activities. He made a purchase of eighty acres 
of land in Big Lick township, and the cultivation of this property has ever 
since absorbed the chief part of his time and energies. At the time he took 
possession his land was in its virgin condition, not only unimproved, but 
wild and woody as only Ohio land could be before the white man's ax and 
saw had made their appearance. But all things yield to labor and persistent 
determination, and as the years went by another and another of Mr. Alford's 
acres emerged from their primeval condition until he had a farm that any 
agriculturist might well be proud of. The beautiful pastures and well tilled 
fields were ornamented by all the buildings necessary for comfort and utility, 
to say nothing of a neat residence for the home of the family. Mr. Alford was 
never much of a politician, nor did he care for office as such, but at the solici- 
tation of his neighbors he consented at different times to serve as township 
clerk, supervisor and school director. Before coming to Hancock county, 
Mr. Alford became acquainted with Miss Rosetta Palmer, whose birth oc- 
curred in New York in 1826, and to this lady he was married in 1845. This 
union, which continued in mutual affection and esteem until Mrs. Alford's 
lamented death in 1892, was productive of eleven children, of whom the 
following named seven are living: Sarah C, Byron C, Frederick O., 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 237 

Aurilla J., E. F., C. A. and Electa. C. A. Alford, the last mentioned son 
in this list, graduated at Oijerlin College, and is now an attorney in Duluth, 
ranking well at the bar and giving promise of future distinction. Mr. Alford, 
besides the general popularity secured to him by his genial and afifable man- 
ners, enjoys the reputation of being one of the most skillful hunters in the 
state. From early years he was always fond of outdoor sports, especially 
those connected with gunning, and this taste has not diminished with the 
passage of time. For forty years he has not failed to take an annual hunt 
in the nothern part of Michigan, and many are the stories he is able to tell 
of his adventures in the north woods after big game of all kinds. He has 
been especially successful in bringing down the fine deer which roam over 
the forests of the upper peninsula, and one of these noble animals shot by Mr. 
Alford weighed two hundred and twenty-five pounds. This was an unusually 
magnificent specimen, but only one of the many obtained by Mr. Alford dur- 
ing his frequent forays into the forest. He loves all kinds of hunting and 
fishing, and ranks as an expert in many lines, being well known far and near 
by the sportsmen who frequent the woods in season. While on one of his 
hunting trips this modern Nimrod met with an adventure which came near 
proving his last. While crossing a ravine on an elevated log he lost his 
balance, and fell through, his feet catching and holding him suspended in 
mid air. For a while death by hanging, with the usual process reversed, 
seemed imminent, but Mr. Alford managed to untangle himself from this 
scrape, as he had from many another during his adventurous career. 

R. J. KIBLER. 

Although a young man and only a member of the Findlay bar about 
ten years, the gentleman whose life is herein outlined has made a creditable 
record both as a practitioner and man of affairs. He has been sufficiently 
successful in practice to steadily increase his patronage and has risen to prom- 
inence in politics on the Democratic side, which he espoused at an early age 
and has always supported zealously. His father, Jacob Kibler, was born 
in Wayne county, Ohio, in 1831, and has devoted practically all his life to ag- 
ricultural pursuits. He removed to Hancock county in later years and located 
on a farm in Eagle township, which afterward continued his place of resi- 
dence. 

On this Eagle township homestead R. J. Kibler was born January 20, 
1868, and there he was reared while being educated in the country schools. 
In 1884 he began teaching school in Hancock county, and continued this occu- 



238 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

pation during the five succeeding winters, while in summer he took advant- 
age of the vacation season to pursue his own studies. In 1888 he secured a 
position as instructor in the high school at Ada, Ohio, and discharged the 
duties of this place until 1890, when he began devoting his time to the study 
of the law. In December, 1891, he was licensed to practice by the supreme 
court at Columbus, and shortly thereafter took up his residence at Findlay, 
since which time he has been one of the busy attorneys at the bar of that 
city. As previously stated, Mr. Kibler is Democratic in his politics and has 
always shown a warm interest in its campaigns for supremacy. As one of 
the recognized leaders of his locality he was appointed state supervisor of 
elections, and is at present holding that position. In 1896 Mr. Kibler was 
married to Miss Carrie, daughter of Captain William B. Richards, the cere- 
mony being performed at the residence of the bride's parents at Bluffton, 
Ohio. Mr. Kibler's only fraternal connections are with the Knights of 
Pythias, of which popular order he has long been an enthusiastic member. 

HENRY SNYDER. 

Henry Snyder, who throughout his active business life has been promi- 
nently identified with the farming and stock raising interests of Hancock 
county, was born on the 12th of August, 1837, in Marion township, his par- 
ents being Henry and Magdaline (Sands) Snyder. His father was born 
in Basil, Switzerland, in 1790, and was reared and educated in his native 
land, always speaking the German language, although he understood English 
in later life. It was in 1832 that he crossed the Atlantic to the new world 
and took up his residence in Fairfield county, Ohio, but the following year 
settled in Hancock county, entering land in Marion township four miles east 
of Findlay. He built thereon a cabin and took up his abode there when there 
was but one family between his home and the river on the east. His place 
was on the Marion (now the Mount Blanchard) road, but when he located 
there the road had not been laid out and the early settlers followed the ridges 
in making a journey. Being in limited circumstances ]\Ir. Snyder had just 
enough money to enter his land, but was able to make a living off his own 
farm from the first and at once turned his attention to the clearing and im- 
provement of his land. In those early days there was much sickness, the 
chills being prevalent among the pioneers, and our subject recalls one time 
when his sister and a neighbor girl were the only ones in the neighborhood 
not suffering with that disease. His father cleared one-half of his hundred- 
acre farm and continued to make his home thereon until called to his final 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 239 

rest in 1864, at the age of seventy-four years. He supported the Demo- 
cratic party until i860, when he became a RepubUcan. Though reared in 
the German Reformed church he joined the Christian church and adhered 
to that faith throughout hfe, attending meetings held in the homes of the 
pioneers and in school houses, as the church in Amanda township, known as 
Amanda Chapel, was not erected until after his death, but the old Christian 
society there has since been disbanded. His wife, who was born in Fairfield 
county in 1806, of Holland parentage, survived him about twenty years, 
passing away in 1883 on the old homestead. They were the parents of six chil- 
dren, namely : Mary Magdaline, now the widow of Henry Herring and a 
resident of Wyandot county, Ohio; Henry, whose name introduces this 
sketch; Elizabeth, who is now keeping house for our subject; Susan, who died 
about four years ago at the age of fifty- four years ; Anna, who lives on the old 
homestead; and Daniel, wo now^ owns the farm on which his entire life has 
been passed. With the exception of our subject and his eldest sister the chil- 
dren all remained unmarried. 

Henry Snyder passed the days of his boyhood and youth upon the old 
home farm, remaining there until his father's death. At the age of twenty- 
two years he taught two terms of school in this county, and later taught in 
Livingston county, Illinois, in 1861-2. He then returned home and taught 
two more terms in this county. Being of a studious nature, he devoted much 
of his leisure time to general literature and passed an examination in algebra 
and history, although these were not among the required studies, in order to 
obtain a teacher's certificate in Ohio. The year of his father's death he bought 
a tract of land in Findlay township on Eagle creek, this county, but in the 
summer of 1867 returned to Illinois and was engaged in farming in Shelby 
county, that state, for a time. Subsequently he assisted his brother in con- 
ducting the home farm and in the meantime made some improvements upon 
his own land in this county. 

His brother being young, Henry Snyder remained at home until his 
marriage, which was celebrated on the 25th of February, 1869, Miss Ma- 
tilda Shank, a daughter of Henry Shank of Eagle township, becoming his 
wife. She was then twenty-seven years of age and had previously been en- 
gaged in teaching school in Eagle township. Mr. Snyder had already secured 
his present tract of land, but as there were no buildings upon the place, he 
rented a farm in Marion township after his marriage and there he and his 
wife began their domestic life, though he devoted one-half of his time to the 
improvement of his own farm. After a happy married life of five years the 
wife died on the loth of October, 1874, leaving two children : Willoughby Al- 



240 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

bert, who is now a horse trainer and track driver of BowHng Green, Wood 
county, Ohio ; and Henry Jason, who has taught four terms of school in Han- 
cock county and is now a student at the Tri-State College at Angola, Indiana. 
He married Florence Enfield, of Big Lick township, this county, and their 
son, Henry Ebert, is now living with his grandfather. Since the death of 
his wife Mr. Snyder's sister Elizabeth has continued to act as his housekeeper 
and has been a mother to his children, and she certainly deserves great credit 
for what she has done in their behalf. 

In addition to the operation of his own farm Mr. Snyder had charge 
of his father's old homestead for three years, conducting the business for his 
brother, who was then in poor health, and for five years he also cultivated a 
farm in Marion township. He has eighty acres on Lj^e creek, one-half of 
which he has cleared and has tiled the principal part of it, much of it being 
under water at one time. He has erected a good house and barn and made 
many other improvements \\hich add greatly to the value and attractive ap- 
pearance of the place, so that it now compares favorably with the best farms 
of the township. In connection with the tilling of the soil he is engaged in the 
raising sheep and hogs, keeping about five hundred sheep, one hundred of 
which he usually fattens for market each year. His hogs are of the Poland 
China breed and have won many prizes at the fairs where they have been 
exhibited. 

Since casting his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln, Mr. Snyder 
has endorsed the principles of the RepulDlican party and at national elections 
always supports that ticket, but at local elections where no issue is involved 
he often votes for the men of the opposing party if he thinks them better 
qualified for the offices. In 1890 he was elected justice of the peace in a 
Democratic township, a fact which indicates his personal popularity and the 
confidence reposed in him by his fellow citizens, and he creditably filled that 
office for one term. 

A. B. LATSHAW. 

A. B. Latshaw, who is a retired oil producer and an extensive farmer 
and stockraiser of Hancock county, operates a farm of about two hundred 
acres in Liberty township. His birth took place on March 23, 1852, in Ve- 
nango county, Pennsylvania, Mr. Latshaw belonging by birth to a state which 
has contributed largely to the wealth and stability of Ohio. 

In early manhood our subject learned the carpenter's trade and later 
became a resident of Mclvean county, Pennsylvania, where he was engaged 



^ 



H '^ 




6^/la^-4- d^'CiJ^-^'*^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 241 

in the building of pump stations and oil derricks. His skill as a mechanic 
made his services valuable as foreman of the workmen engaged in that lo- 
cality, and he remained there for eight years. In 1885 he came to Hancock 
county, Ohio, and for some time followed the same business, but later became 
an oil producer himself. After looking closely into the merits of various 
portions of the oil producing lands, he invested in Virginia in a large tract 
which had numerous w^ells m operation upon it. Mr. Latshaw thus dis- 
played business acumen and was very successful, and still further proved his 
good judgment by selling out his oil interests at the right time, and in 1893 
put his money into his fine farm. In 1894 he began the erection of his fine 
house, completing the same in 1895, w^ith all modern improvements, owning 
now one of the handsomest homes in this locality. 

In 1873 Mr. Latshaw was united in marriage with Miss Mary J., the 
daughter of Adam and Margaret Swartzlander, who was born on February 
3, 1855, in Pennsylvania. Her father was a veteran in the Civil war and met 
an honored death on the battlefield of Gettysburg. A daughter and a son 
were born to Mr. and Mrs. Latshaw, namely : Florence L., who is Mrs. 
Freeh and has one child, Harrold A., and Adam R., who married Miss Belle 
Thompson, and has a daughter, Dorathea M. 

Our subject is one of the progressive citizens of Liberty township, and 
his fellow-citizens' confidence has been shown in his selection to positions of 
responsibility. For two years he has been the efficient township assessor. 
Fraternally he is a member of the order of Maccabees. 

Mr. Latshaw is a self-made man, beginning at the bottom of the ladder 
and climbing to his present independent position through his own efforts. 
He is recognized as a man of sound judgment in business matters and as 
a useful member of society. He is well and favorably known in agricultural 
affairs and is prominent in any measures looking to the advancement of the 
farmer's interests. In politics Mr. Latshaw is a Republican and takes an 
active interest in the political affairs of his county and state. Mrs. Latshaw 
is a member of the Church of God. 

WILLIAM J. CREIGHTON. 

The above named gentleman has long been a familiar feature in the public 
life of Findlay, owing to his continuous connection for years with its finan- 
cial institutions and previous incumbency of the county treasurer's office. 
During his tenure of the various responsible positions entrusted to his care, 
I\Ir. Creisrhton has so discharged their duties and so demeaned himself in 



242 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

his intercourse with the people as to be regarded as one of the most substan- 
tial and reliable of the city's business men. His life story is briefly told and 
is but the repetition of many similar ones in its main outlines, that of a 
farmer's boy trained to hard work and the wholesome discipline of the coun- 
try, afterward utilizing his sturdy virtues to acquire position in the higher 
walks. Such men are always interesting, as their experiences form a distinct 
phase of American national life, and it is from such sources that the best 
blood of the country is recruited. 

William J. Creighton was born in Cass township, Hancock county, Ohio, 
May 29, 1847, '^i^d had the usual experience that befalls farm boys. As soon 
as old enough, of course, he was sent to the neighborhood school, and was 
expected to "do chores" in the evenings after school hours. When he got to 
be a boy, he must help with the farm work during vacations, and make 
himself generally useful in the assistance of his parents. Nor did Mr. Creigh- 
ton depart from the other immemorial custom of all ambitious rural lads 
of teaching a term or two as a preparatory course before entering the great 
world. Accordingly we find Mr. Creighton a pedagogue at the age of seven- 
teen and pursuing this avocation off and on for the next eleven years. At 
the end of that time he received an offer to enter the office of the treasurer 
of Hancock county as first deputy and gladly accepted, well knowing that 
such positions generally lead to better. He remained in the treasurer's office 
four years, during which time he completely mastered all of its details, and 
then returned to the farm awhile. But he was not allowed to rusticate long, 
being called from his retreat by receiving the nomination as candidate of his 
party for the office of county treasurer. After a spirited campaign, in which 
he proved himself to be a "good mixer," Mr. Creighton was elected and 
served his term of two years so satisfactorily that he had little difificulty in 
obtaining another. Accordingly he was re-elected treasurer of Hancock 
county and finished his second term without mishap or adverse comment. 
This was Mr. Creighton's last experience of official life, but since retiring 
from office he has held other positions of responsibility, with different finan- 
cial institutions. In 1887 he was offered and accepted the position of assistant 
cashier in the office of the American National Bank at Findlay, and remained 
about twelve years with that corporation. January i, 1901, he was appointed 
secretary and treasurer of the Commercial Bank and Savings Company, which 
position he has since retained and filled with his usual skill and ability. Mr. 
Creighton's only fraternal connections are with the Odd Fellows, and he has 
served that order as representative to the Grand Encampment on two occa- 
sions. Mr. Creighton is a Democrat in politics. He was married September 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 243 

18, 1873, to Miss Martha Ebersole, a native of Hancock county and a daugh- 
ter of Henry and Margaret Ebersole, Hancock county pioneers. Mr. and 
Mrs. Creighton have two children : David Maurice, proprietor of the Findlay 
book bindery, and Jessie Mabel, who graduated from Oberlin College in 
1901. 

DANIEL N. SCHUBERT. 

The influx of German blood into this great republic was of large pro- 
portions during the first half of this century. The care which the German 
government has taken in ameliorating the conditions of its working class, has 
of late years resulted in checking somewhat this flow of emigration. The 
Buckeye state was a haven for a large number of this excellent foreign ele- 
ment, and Hancock county is fortunate in having within its bounds many of 
those who came to the state. They were honest, worthy citizens, exceedingly 
industrious, and their descendants have inherited their best qualities. 

Mr. Daniel N. Schubert is the grandson of John Casper and Christena 
Schubert, who came from the fatherland in 1832. After a very short resi- 
dence in Crawford county, Ohio, they settled in Seneca county, where John 
C. entered eighty acres of land, and which was increased at various times by 
another one hundred. John C. Schubert is remembered as being an upright 
man, being a tailor by trade and a good provider; a man who was alive to 
the best interests of his adopted country. Religiously he and his wife were 
worthy members of the Lutheran church. His family numbered the follow- 
ing children : Leander, Asmuth, August, Malina, Matilda, Lucinda, Harman 
and Sarah. Of this number Leander was the father of our subject. He was 
born in Saxony, Germany, in 1823, and accompanied his parents to America 
when they crossed the sea. He continued to live at home until he was twenty- 
seven years of age, having in his early youth learned the carpenter's trade. 
He was a first-class mechanic, as many of the beautiful homes in Hancock 
can testify. He was not only a good carpenter, but his farming was of 
a high order. He was a very careful and methodical man, watching the little 
things in life, and this habit resulted in the accumulation of a very nice prop- 
erty before his death. He owned four hundred and forty acres of the good 
land. His career was uneventful, save that he did his duties as a citizen, 
and reared his family to respect the institutions of his adopted country. He 
distributed his land to his children, who are now making the very best use of 
it. His marriage occurred in 1850, his wife's name being Susannah Grove. 
Their family consisted of John, born June 11, 1852; Harriet, November 



244 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

14, 1854; Alvin, February 5, 1857; Irene, October 15, 1858; Manassah D., 
April 21, i860; Levi C, October 22, 1861 ; Albert G., April 29, 1864; Daniel 
N., July 18, 1865. The mother of the family was a native of Highland county, 
Ohio, where she was born October 17, 1830. Leander and his entire family 
were workers in the Dunkard church, he having served for a period of forty 
years as a deacon of that organization. On the i8th of October, 1900, this 
good man passed to his reward, mourned by his devoted children and a large 
circle of acquaintances. His wife continues the journey alone. 

Mr. Daniel N. Schubert passed his boyhood days quietly in his parents' 
home, and in the township school acquired his elementary education. He 
has always confined himself to the life of a farmer. He is now in possession 
of the old homestead, upon which he lives with his family. His wife was 
Miss Ermina, the daughter of S. B. and Diana Thomas. Her marriage to 
Mr. Schubert took place on the 5th of May, 1889. She has presented her 
husband with Carl C. and Milton V., two strong, manly sons. Her birth 
occurred in Big Lick township January 10, 1868. 

In his day Daniel Schubert is following closely in the steps of his 
revered father, and is highly esteemed in the community. He and his family 
continue their interest in the Dunkard organization, and in local life of the 
community he has served with credit in the office of township trustee. He is 
a good, substantial citizen, one who is respected and honored by all who are 
fortunate in having his acquaintance. 

HENRY O. PURKEY. 

This worthy member of the fraternity of farmers in Hancock county is 
a resident of Cass township. His father, Jacob, was one of the noble band 
of pioneers of this county, removing here in 1832 from Pennsylvania, of 
which state he was a native. He married Agnes Manifold, also a native of 
Pennsylvania, who became the mother of his ten children, of whom four 
survive: John, a resident of Bloomdale; Henry O., the subject of this sketch; 
J. R., also of Bloomdale, and J. A. Jacob Purkey owned two hundred and 
forty acres of land, which he earned by honest toil. He began life a poor 
man, but by close application to business and dealing squarely with all men, 
he soon won the confidence of his fellow citizens^, as well as their good will, 
and accumulated a very fair competence before his death. He was a zealous 
member of the JMethodist Episcopal church, being prominently identified with 
its active life as a class leader. Politically he favored the Republican party, 
and was ever ready to do whatever was in his power to advance its noble prin- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL LIISTORY 245 

ciples. He passed an existence of a number of years in this county, during 
which he was held in high esteem, and was mourned by a large circle of 
friends on his death, March 18, 1866. His wife, Agnes M., outlived him 
fourteen years. 

Henry O. Purkey, second in age of his father's surviving sons, was born 
in Wood county, Ohio, May 18, 1845, passed his boyhood in the quiet life 
of the country and received a fairly good education in the district school. 
Arriving at maturity he chose the vocation which Washington said was one 
of the noblest that man could engage in, and in this pursuit he has proved 
eminently successful. His first holding of real estate was purchased in the 
spring of 1858, consisting of fifty acres, which he held for a considerable 
period, improved and sold at a good profit. In 1881 he purchased the eighty 
acres where he now lives, which ^^•as increased by forty-seven received by 
inheritance. In the conduct of this farm he is exceedingly practical, using 
the latter day methods with success. Mr. Purkey chose as a life companion 
Miss Martha J. McKey, the marriage occurring October 18, 1867. The 
lady whom he thus honored was the daughter of Robert and Eliza McKee, and 
she became the mother of Eliza, born June 8, 1868; John T., May, 1870; Will- 
iam E., July, 1873; Ada S., July, 1876, now deceased; Robert E., October, 
1878; and Orlo H., July, 1884. Of this family Eliza married Charles 
Doering ; John T. was married to Emma Markwood ; and William E. wedded 
Eva Stecker. Mrs. Martha J. Purkey is a native of i\llegheny county, Pennsyl- 
vania, where she was born December 31, 1844, and came with her parents to 
this county in 1865. Mr. and Mrs. Purkey are members of the Methodist 
Episcopal church, of Bloomdale, of which organization he has been a mem- 
ber for forty-six years and is now serving as trustee. In politics Mr. Purkey 
is a Republican, although in local affairs he supports the man rather than 
the pary. Mr. Purkey is a genial, whole-souled gentleman, universally es- 
teemed among a very large circle of acquaintances. 

DR. WILLIAAI R. MOFFETT. 

This an age of progress, and America is the exponent of the spirit of 
the age. Perhaps no greater advancement has been made along professional 
lines than in dentistry. New methods have been introduced, and the pro- 
fession has largely attained perfection. Fully in touch with the advance- 
ment which has been made. Dr. William R. Moffett stands as a leading rep- 
resentative of the dental fraternity in Hancock county, residing and doing 
business in Arcadia, the town of his birth. Dr. T^Ioffett here first saw the 



246 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

light on January 3, 1871. He is the son of WilHam and Sarah (Chambers) 
Moffett, both of whom are natives of the Emerald Isle. The father was born 
in County Down, July i, 1837. The parents were married in their native 
isle and emigrated to this country in 1866, remaining a short time in Phila- 
delphia, after which they removed to Arcadia, where Mr. Moffett engaged in 
the mercantile business for a short period. He then entered the drug busi- 
ness, which he successfully carried on for a period of twenty years. He was 
a man of superior intelligence and education, and made a marked impression 
on those with whom he came in touch. He was a ready writer of both prose 
and poetry, and an interesting and fluent speaker. He served Arcadia in the 
capacity of postmaster for a number of years, and served the township in 
holding with credit some of its offices. In religious faith he was a strict 
Presbyterian, in which organization he was an elder. His death occurred 
July 2, 1899, an event which spread gloom over the entire community, for it 
w^as the loss of a good citizen. The wife still survives, and is carrying on the 
drug business left by her husband. Their family consists of five children, 
namely: George H., William R., David E., Mary and Margaret B. The 
mother of Dr. Mofifett was a sister of Dr. John Chambers, deceased, a -noted 
clergyman of Indianapolis, Indiana. He was also a professor in the Indiana 
Medical College and a surgeon of note. The Chambers family were of 
Scotch-English descent. 

Dr. Moffett passed the days of his boyhood and youth in the village of 
his birth, where he received an excellent education, graduating with honor 
from the high school. In 1893 he was given a license as a practicing dentist, 
and immediately opened an office at Ottawa, Ohio, where his work proved 
so satisfactory that his patronage became very extensive. He remained at 
Ottawa until 1900, at which time he returned to his native place, where he 
is now practicing. Dr. Moffett uses the very latest methods of dentistry in 
his office, and his work is done to the entire satisfaction of his numerous and 
still growing patronage. In connection with his dental practice Dr. Moffett 
also dips somewhat into agriculture, having purchased a farm of seventy acres 
near Arcadia. In 1891 Dr. Moffett was united in marriage to Miss Nora 
Moffitt. Miss Moffitt was the daughter of John J. and Edith Moffitt, and was 
born in Blanchard township, February 17, 1873. To this felicitous marriage 
there have been born two lovely daughters, Jessie Aldine, born January 27, 
1893, and Edith Pauline, born June 2, 1895. 

Dr. and Mrs. Moffett are popular members of society in Hancock county, 
where their circle of friends is extensive, and the regard in which they are 
held is uniform. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 247 

WILLIAM B. MILLER. 

Industry is a leading; characteristic of the German people, and this fact 
probably accounts in a measure at least for the unrelenting- activity that has 
marked the life of William B. Miller and those who went before him. Hard 
work and rigid economy made of the father a comparatively wealthy man, and 
despite the heavy expense of raising a large family, Martin Miller was able 
to give his son William eighty acres as a start in business. 

Christopher Miller came to this country from Germany in 1805, settling 
in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. Martin, the son, who was but eight 
years old when he landed, remained there until 1816, when at the age of 
nineteen he moved to Fairfield county, this state. Here his son William 
was born, February 11, 1825, and here the family resided until the death of 
the parents, Martin dying in 1877, and his wife, who was Catherine Baker, 
in 1884. She was a native of Sunberry, Pennsylvania, and was seven years 
younger than her husband, having been born in 1804. They were members 
of the Reformed church and Mr. Miller was a Republican in politics. They 
had seventeen children; thirteen grew to maturity, seven are still living, and 
of this number two reside in this county. 

At the age of twenty-two, in 1847, William Miller removed to Han- 
cock county, and three years later added by purchase one hundred acres to 
the eighty he had received as a gift from his father. Some of this land was 
not in the best state of cultivation and Mr. Miller set about at once to im- 
prove it. He subsequently sold twenty acres to a neighbor. 

On March 24, 1845, he was united in marriage to Miss Jane, daughter 
of William and Susan S. Martin. She bore him thirteen children, of whom 
eight are living. She was a native of Ohio, born in Fairfield county June 18, 
1823, and is now deceased. For his second wife he married Mrs. Helen E. 
Flack. 

Mr. Miller lives very near the southeastern limits of Findlay, on one hun- 
dred and sixty acres of valuable farming land, and is very intimately associ- 
ated with the political and religious life of the town. He is one of the strong 
men in the Republican party, has held the office of township treasurer and. 
has also been one of the trustees of Marion township. He was justice of 
the peace for some time and in 1879 was nominated by his party as member 
of the state legislature. It was in the same year that Governor Foster was 
defeated by a vote of three hundred and ninety-seven, and Mr. Miller was 
beaten by a majority of two hundred and ninety-five votes. A comparison 
of these numbers will indicate the degree of Mr. Miller's popularity. As 



248 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

superintendent of the Sunday-school and class leader of the United Brethren 
church, Mr. Miller has put a personality into his work, the influence of which 
is very wide-reaching in its effects. Mr. Miller and his family belong to this 
church and in Findlay he is counted as one of this county's most popular, pro- 
gressive and representative men. 

PETER SOLT. 

The world instinctively pays deference to the man whose success has 
been worthily achieved, who has risen above his early surroundings, overcom- 
ing the obstacles in his path and reaching an enviable position in business 
circles. This is a progressive age and he who does not advance is soon left 
far behind. Mr. Solt, by the improvement of opportunities by which all are 
surrounded, has steadily and honorably worked his ^^'ay upward and has 
attained a fair degree of prosperity. 

This well known stock dealer of Eagle township was born in Fairfield 
county, Ohio, on the 13th of November, 1830, a son of Conrad and Saloma 
Solt, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania and of German ancestry. 
The father was between sixteen and eighteen years of age when he came to 
this state and the mother was quite young at the time of her removal. 
Besides his home farm of one hundred and seventy acres of land in Fair- 
field county, Conrad Solt owned three hundred and twenty acres of land in 
Hancock county, which he entered from the government and an entire section 
near Bluffton in Wells county, Indiana, which he also entered. As his chil- 
dren started out in life for themselves he gave to each one hundred and sixty 
acres of this wild land and he lived to see it all distributed among thm, dying 
at the ripe old age of eighty-seven years, honored and respected by all who 
knew him. One son, Cornelius, settled on land in Eagle township, in Han- 
cock county, which was given him by his father and here developed a farm. 
During the Civil war he enlisted in the Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry 
and died in the service when about forty-five years of age. Some of his 
family still live in this county and his grandson, Sanderson Pifer, now oc- 
cupies the old homestead. Moses Solt, another son of Conrad, also came to 
Hancock county and settled on the old John Powell farm in Eagle township, 
but later removed to a farm near Findlay, Ohio, and from there went to 
Tennessee. Subsequently he made his home in various states but finally lo- 
cated permanently in Missouri, where he now resides. Melancthon Solt, 
another son, is now a grain and stock dealer living in Washington county, 
Kansas, where he is cjuite extensively engaged in the feeding of stock. The 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 249 

father was also interested in the raising of horses, cattle and hogs, and was 
accounted one of the best and most reliable business men of his community. 

Until about nineteen years of age Peter Solt remained under the parental 
roof, but three years previous to this he began buying and selling stock, and 
then entered the employ of a drover, driving stock over the mountains to 
New York City, making two trips, first with two hundred and fifty hogs and 
two hundred and one head of cattle. On attaining his majority he embarked 
in the same business on his own account and during the years that have 
since passed he has given the greater part of his time and attention to that 
enterprise, having many partners, the old firm of P. Solt & Company being- 
one of the best known in the state. 

While visiting Hancock county soon after his marriage Mr. Solt pur- 
chased forty acres of land in what is now Eagle township. He had made a 
bid of seven hundred and fifty dollars for this tract, although he did not really 
want it, but his offer was accepted. It had been his intention to buy land near 
Elmira, but on reaching home his father advised him to take the land in Han- 
cock county, and he located thereon August 31, 1853. There was a small cabin 
on the place but little of the land had been cleared. His capital was exhausted 
on paying for his property, but he at once set to work to clear the land, de- 
voting his attention to that labor at night, while by day he continued to en- 
gage in the stock business. In less than a year, however, he had lost all he 
had with the exception of a carload of hogs by endorsing another man's 
note for thirteen hundred dollars, even selling his seed wheat and winter 
meat to pay his debts. It was also his intention to sell his land, but a neigh- 
bor, iVmos Swayer, who had induced him to buy the land, let him have the 
money needed, in fact all that he wanted to borrow, without security. On 
the completion of the Lake Shore Railroad he began shipping stock over that 
line and within a year was able to meet all his obligations. He was feeding 
about two hundred sheep, which were purchased by a couple of stock buyers, 
a Mr. Grant from New York, and Mr. Fisher from Erie, Pennsylvania, who 
paid him a good price and also advanced him one thousand dollars with 
which to buy more. Within a week or two he also made five hundred dollars 
by buying stock for those gentlemen. He continued in their employ for 
about a year, during which time he was able to pay off his debts and gain an- 
other start in life. For fifteen years thereafter he gave special attention to 
the sheep business, shipping his stock to New York City and Buffalo, the 
latter city proving the best market. He did not place his business in the 
hands of commission merchants but conducted his own sales and his opera- 
tions extended throughout this state, Indiana and Illinois, where he bought 

16 



2 50 ■ CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPEIICAL HISTORY 

cattle and hogs on quite an extensive scale. In 1882 he did a business of hand- 
ling nineteen hundred and fifty hogs and seven hundred and fifty head of 
cattle, for which he contracted one year ahead. At times he has contracted 
for hogs before they were born, paying five cents per pound and selling the 
same for nine and a half cents in Buffalo over a year after the contracts were 
made. Mr. Solt, with his partner, does an annual business of thirty-five thou- 
sand to fifty thousand dollars. For twenty years he has engaged in the feed- 
ing of sheep and has also fed hogs largely during the summer months. Al- 
most a half century has passed since he became interested in the stock busi- 
ness and during that time there has been hardly a year in which he did not 
buy and sell stock in connection with farming. He owns a nice place of eighty 
acres, on which he has erected a good house and barn, and made many other 
useful and valuable improvements. 

On the 15th of May, 1853, in Fairfield county, Ohio, Mr. Solt was 
united in marriage to Miss Henrietta Cloud, a native of Ohio and a daughter 
of Mordecai and Ellen (Jones) Cloud, both of whom spent their last years 
with our subject and died at his home. Unto Mr. and Mrs, Solt were born 
the following children : Mary Elizabeth, now the wife of F. B. McClelland 
of Eagle township; David B., and Clifford W., also residents of Eagle town- 
ship; Ellen Saloma, wife of S. H. Hoy, of Eagle township; Dora E., wife of 
Dr. E. B. Harrington, of Findlay, Ohio; Sanderson H., who is unmarried 
and now operates the home farm ; and Fanny Grant, wife of Bruce Keller, 
of Eagle township. Each one of the children has had a farm given him and 
to-day all are well-to-do, the sons being first-class business men like their 
father, who stands as the banker of the family and has worked hard to give 
his children a good start in life. 

Throughout his business career Mr. Solt has met with many reverses, 
losing in one day sixteen hundred dollars and at another time thirty-two 
hundred dollars, owing to a decline in the market. He has also lost much by 
going security for others, but has never allowed himself to become discour- 
aged or disheartened. With indefatigable energy he has Avorked his way up- 
ward, overcoming all the obstacles and difficulties in his path until he is 
to-day one of the well-to-do and substantial citizens of his community, -is 
well as one of its most honored and highly respected citizens. In his 
political views he is a Republican, but has never hesitated to vote for a Dem- 
ocrat when he thought the candidate of that party was more fitted for the 
position than his own. He has been quite a political worker but has never 
cared for official honors. At one time he was elected sheriff, having been 
nominated against his desire. In all the relations of life he has been found 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 251 

true to every trust reposed in him, and he has the respect and confidence of all 
who know him. It is said, and without any qualification, that tlie word of 
Peter Solt has always been and is as good as his bond. 

NAPOLEON B. PRESLER. 

The above named is the only one of a large family of children who re- 
sides in Hancock county, though he has brothers and sisters in other parts 
of the country. His father was William M. Presler, a Pennsylvanian, who 
emigrated to Ohio as early as 1835 and located on one hundred and twenty 
acres of land in Seneca county. Before leaving his native state he had mar- 
ried a widow named Elmina (Boden) Crabill, with whom he resided in Sen- 
eca county until 1876, and then removed to Kansas. There he purchased one 
hundred and seventy acres of land and busied himself in its cultivation until 
the spring of 1897, when he lost his wife by death and has since lived alone 
on his farm. When he married Mrs. Crabill she had five children by her first 
husband, and subsequently became the mother of six additional. 

Napoleon B. Presler, one of the sons of his father's second marriage, 
was born in Big Spring township, Seneca county, Ohio, February 9, 1857, 
and remained there until he reached his majority. August 18, 1878, he was 
married, in his native county, to Miss Phebe Ellen Hile, whose parents had 
settled in Seneca county shortly before his own father's arrival from the 
east. Adam Hile, father of Mrs. Presler, was born in Germany, in 1804, 
emigrated to Pennsylvania in early life, married a native of that state and 
removed to Ohio in 1834. He spent the remainder of his days in Seneca 
county, his death occurring there in 1885, followed by that of his wife in 
November of the subsequent year. The Hiles were members of the Lutheran 
church and had a family of nine children, of whom six are now living, includ- 
ing Mrs. Presler. After his marriage Mr. Presler remained in Seneca county 
about four years, and in 1882 removed to Putnam county, where he purchased 
forty acres of land and spent the three following years in its cultivation. In 
1885 he came to Hancock county and bought seventy-nine acres of land in 
Portage township, upon which he settled, and was engaged in farming for the 
four following years. In 1889 he made his final move to the farm of one 
hundred and five acres in Amanda township which constitutes his present 
homestead. This land is fertile, and under Mr. Presler's good management has 
been made productive and profitable. He raises all the cereal crops adapted to 
the climate, and the usual amount and variety of stock customary in that 
locality. Mr. Presler has greatly improved his place since taking possession, 



252 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

cind among the substantial additions made by him was a fine barn erected in 
1892. As a citizen and neighbor Mr. Presler stands well, and has several 
times been called upon to fill township offices. His political affiliations are 
with the Republican party, of which he has been a stanch supporter from 
earliest manhood. Mr. and Mrs. Presler have six children : Schuyler C, 
Orpha K., Olivia O., Florence B., Edna G. and James L. 

JEROME M. MARTIN. 

Among the busiest, most energetic and enterprising men of McComb 
is the subject of this review, the senior member of the hardware firm of 
Martin & Weinland. He was born at Commercial Point, Pickaway county, 
Ohio, in 1854, and when only a year and a half old was deprived by death 
of his mother, and at the age of six years was left an orphan by his father's 
death. 

Mr. Martin remained in the place of his nativity until twenty-one years 
of age and during that time acquired a good common-school education, well 
fitting him for the practical and responsible duties of life. In the winter 
months he attended school and in the summer seasons worked on a farm, 
thus providing for his own support from an early age. In the year 1875, with 
the capital which he had acquired through his own exertions, he embarked in 
the grocery business at Napoleon, Ohio, but after a year spent at that place 
he sold his store and removed to Decatur, Illinois, where he opened a res- 
taurant. He conducted the new enterprise for a year and then returned to 
Napoleon, w'here he followed the trade of carpentering, which he learned 
there, also executing contracts for work of that nature. He remained in Na- 
poleon until 1888, when he came to McComb and established his hardware 
store, having one of the largest and best stocked stores in this line of com- 
mercial activity in northern Ohio. The firm carries an extensive stock in or- 
der to meet the constantly growing demands of its trade, and the business is 
continually increasing, both in volume and importance. 

In 1877, in Napoleon, Mr. Martin was united in marriage to Miss Clara 
J. Weaver, and they now have a pleasant home and many friends in Mc- 
Comb. Mr. Martin is a Democrat in his political views and has taken an 
active part in political affairs, serving as a member of the city council of 
Napoleon. He was also chief of the fire department, acting in that capacity 
for a number of years in a most capable manner. For six years, from 1893 
until 1899, he served as treasurer of McComb, and from the latter date until 
the present time he has been the treasurer of Pleasant township, Hancock 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 25-3 

county. In 1888 he was a member of the city council here, and is an officer 
whose poHtical record is above reproach, for he is true to every trust reposed 
in him and is loyal and patriotic in the discharge of his duties. Fraternally 
he is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is an ex- 
emplary representative of the organization. His attention, however, is closely 
given to his business interests, which are now of an extensive character, and 
in the control of which he is meeting with very desirable success. 

M. M. MOYER. 

Edwin R. Moyer. the son of poor Pennsylvania parents, was inured to 
hardships in youth, and as he grew up learned the trade of shoemaking, which 
he pursued some years as a means of livelihood. After his marriage to 
Lucinda Grinawalt he obtained possession of a small piece of land, whose 
cultivation, in connection with his work on the bench, enabled him with diffi- 
culty to support his growing family. Thinking to better his fortunes by a 
movement to the west, he came about 1866 to Hancock county, where he 
bought eighty acres of land in Union township. This place, however, being 
found unsuitable on account of size and other reasons, he disposed of it 
to buy a tract double its size, on which he established his family as comfort- 
ably as possible. From that time on he abandoned his shoemaker's tools, 
and by devoting his whole attention to the farm obtained a success beyond 
his most Sanguine expectations. In fact the quondam shoemaker proved "to 
be an excellent agriculturist and soon became noted for the abundance as well 
as quality of his crops, while his stock was among the finest and fattest in 
the land. As Edwin's circumstances improved his family kept pace with the 
increased income, and in time Mr. and Mrs. Moyer found their household en- 
livened by the presence of twelve lusty children. The boys as they grew 
up all proved to be sober and industrious, and were of great assistance to 
their father in carrying on his farming operations. In time they all married 
and without exception have done well, being found in honorable positions in 
the various walks of life and respected as useful citizens. The father, after 
doing his full duty during a long and blameless life, passed away in 1888, 
and four years later his good wife, Lucinda, was laid by his side in the family 
burying ground. 

M. M. Moyer, one of the sons of this worthy couple, was born in Lehigh 
county, Pennsylvania, in July, 1862, and hence was only about four years 
old when his parents settled in Hancock county. He had no aspirations aside 
from farming, and having learned the details of this business under his fa- 



2 54 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

ther's tutelage adopted it as his regular calling as soon as he approached 
manhood. When his mother died, in 1890, he bought the interest of the 
other heirs in half of the homestead, and now owns eighty acres of his father's 
original purchase. This tract he has been cultivating for twelve years with 
such skill and industry as to be ranked as one of the most promising of the 
younger generation of farmers, while his genial character and kind disposition 
have gained him the good will of all his neighbors. He attends closely to 
business, manages his farm with judgment and his operations have yielded 
him a steady and increasing income. In the same year that he effected the 
purchase of his place he led to the altar Miss Alice, the accomplished daugh- 
ter of Dr. F. C. Steingraver, and this union, which proved in every way 
happy and congenial, resulted in the birth of three bright children, whose 
names are Frederick E., Helen M. and Myron D. Mr. and Mrs. Moyer 
are members of the Methodist Protestant church, in which he holds the posi- 
tion of trustee and steward. The success of Mr. Moyer, taken in connection 
with the standing obtained by his numerous brothers and sisters, shows that 
the emigration of the Pennsylvania shoemaker made a valuable addition to 
the stanch citizenship of Hancock county. 

LEVI BRIGHT. 

In the great and prosperous agricultural district of Hancock county, 
Ohio, one of the well known farmers is Levi Bright, wdio owns and resides on 
one hundred and two acres in Amanda township and also has three hundred 
and thirteen in Big Lick township. The Bright family has been intimately 
associated with the development and progress of this county for many years, 
and both the grandfather, Major, and the father, Ninirod Bright, were old 
settlers of the county. Further information concerning the family will be 
found in the history of Major Bright, on another page of this book. 

Levi had his birth on his fathers farm in Big Lick township. May 22, 
T844. He was reared in the atmosphere of farm life, was early inured to its 
labors, and after enjoying the advantages of the common schools of his 
neighborhood he entered upon agricultural pursuits as his life work. But 
while still a boy he was called away from the peaceful existence of the farm 
to the stirring scenes of the Civil war. In 1862 he was enrolled as a mem- 
ber of Company H, Fifty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and participated 
in the battles of Arkansas Post, Allen's Hill and the siege of Vicksburg. 
Disease incapacitated him for further service and he was honorably dis- 
charged in 1863. After his return from the war he began as a farmer on 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 255 

his own account and about 1870 made his first purchase of real estate, amount- 
ing to forty acres, to which he has added by purchase and by his father's gifts 
until he now owns his present acreage. It is needless to say ihat he has been 
very successful in all that he has undertaken and is now rated as one of the 
foremost farmers of the county. He removed to Amanda township in 1895 
and is how trustee of the township. With his brother, John, he developed 
the first oil well in the township, in 1901, and at the present time they own 
and operate thirteen wells. Mr. Bright is a member of the United Brethren 
church and serves as one of its trustees. His political beliefs are those of the 
Republican party. 

On March 27, 1867, Mr. Bright married Miss Mary F. Dotts, the 
daughter of Andrew and Matilda Dotts, who was bom in Hancock county in 
February, 1845, ^^^d passed away on Christmas day of 1889. Of this mar- 
riage there were born eight children, of whom four are living: Anna B., Cora 
D., Etha L. and Bertha M. April 20, 1890, Mr. Bright was married to 
Mrs. Frances M., the widow of Newton Roberts, a native of Pennsylvania, 
born March 19, 1861. Mrs. Bright is a daughter of Abraham and Adaline 
Williams, who were born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, who came to 
Hancock county from West Virginia twenty-six years ago, and now reside 
in Big Lick township. Mr. and Mrs. Bright have four children, Sylvia M., 
Hazel A., Thornton I. and Weldon L. Mr. Bright and his family enjoy the 
high regard of a large number of friends and acquaintances and are good 
and worthy citizens of the county. 

WILLIAM F. BRICKMAN. 

A representative of the legal fraternity in Hancock county, William F, 
Brickman is engaged in the practice of law in McComb and has gained a 
good clientage, which has connected him with much important litigation 
and legal business. He is one of the native sons of this county, his birth 
having occurred in Washington township, upon his father's farm, in 1866. 
He is a son of William Brickman, who was born in Mecklenburg, Germany, 
in the year 1825, and spent the days of his boyhood and youth in that coun- 
try, but in 1854 he sailed for the new world, for the tales he had heard 
concerning business opportunities in this country attracted him to American 
shores. He made his way across the country to Hancock county, Ohio, and 
throughout his life carried on farming. His death occurred in 1883, seven 
children surviving him: Lewis; Samuel; Sarah, the wife of Charles F. 
Greiner; William F., whose name introduces this record; Minnie, the wife of 



256 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Diverney Calhoun; Anna C, the wife of John W. Preble; and Etta C, who 
completes this family, of whom our subject is the fourth. 

During the very early boyhood of William F. Brickman his parents re- 
moved to Portage township, Hancock county, Ohio, where he was reared 
and educated, attending the country schools through the winter months, while 
in the summer seasons he carried on agricultural pursuits, assisting his fa- 
ther in the work of field and meadow. He was thus engaged until twenty 
years of age, when he left the parental roof and made his way to Angola, In- 
diana, becoming a student in the Tri-State Normal College, of which he 
is a graduate, having completed the course with the class of 1890. He then 
entered the law office of Judge W. L. Penfield, of Auburn, Indiana, under 
whose direction he studied for a year, and then went to the state of Washing- 
ton, locating in Pullman, where he engaged in teaching school for about a 
year, although he remained there for twenty months. 

Later Mr. Brickman became a student in the law department of the 
State University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, where he was graduated in 
1893, and then he entered upon the practice of his profession in McComb, 
where a liberal patronage has been won, his clientage coming from a good 
class of people. He is deeply interested in his profession, thoroughly prepares 
his cases before entering the courtroom and before judge or jury is a strong 
advocate. 

In 1900, in Hancock county, Mr. Brickman was united in marriage to 
Miss Vina S., daughter of Oliver P. Shaw, and the hospitality of the best 
homes of this locality is extended to them. In his political views Mr. Brick- 
man is a Democrat, and socially he belongs to the Knights of Pythias frater- 
nity, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and to the Ben Hur Tribe. 
He belongs to the Lutheran church and thus gives due attention to the social 
and moral phases of life as well as to his professional duties and interests. 

PETER H. POWELL. 

Peter H. Powell has for many years been identified with agricultural 
pursuits in Eagle township, Hancock county, and his farm, being in the oil 
belt of this state, now has upon it a number of producing oil wells, whereby 
his income is materially increased each year. He was born July 17, 1838, on 
the farm which is yet his home, his parents being Philip and Elizabeth (Fell- 
ers) Powell, the former a native of Miftiin county, Pennsylvania, the latter 
of Fairfield county, Ohio. The Powell family is of Welsh origin as far back 
as the ancestry can be traced and for two centuries has been represented in 




MR. AND MRvS. PETER H. POWELL. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 257 

America, five brothers of the name liaving come to this country at one time 
about two hundred years ago. They became scattered, however, and no 
authentic record of their descendants is obtainable. The one who located in 
Pennsylvania was William Powell, who operated a ferry on one of the prin- 
cipal rivers of the Keystone state. 

John Philip Powell, the first to settle in Ohio, was a pioneer of Fairfield 
county. He entered several hundred acres of land from the government and 
divided it among his children. Peter Powell, the grandfather of our subject, 
entered one hundred acres for each of his children and settled the following 
sons in Hancock county: Peter, John, Henry, Samuel, Philip and Jacob, 
although Peter died in Fairfield county. Two other sons, George and Dan- 
iel, were settled elsewhere, the former in Wood county, Ohio, the latter in 
Carey, this state. Samuel and Henry were the pioneers here, coming in 1830 
or 1 83 1. Their father, Peter, spent his last years here, passing away when 
eighty-five years of age. He was a man of decided views, fearless in defense 
of his honest convictions and was respected by all who knew him. All of his 
sons have now passed away, the last being Jacob, who departed this life in 
Findlay, at the age of eighty-five. 

In 1834 Philip Powell, the father of our subject, came to Hancock 
county and settled in the midst of the green woods, where he began to make 
a farm, carrying on the work of its improvement until his death, which oc- 
curred in 1866. The mother of our subject had died about 1841, when only 
twenty-five years of age. They were the parents of three children : Joshua, 
of Liberty township; Peter, of this review; and Simon W., who left the 
old farm in 1859 and is now a civil and mining engineer of San Francisco. 
About 1842 the father had married again, Susanna Tussing, also of Fairfield 
county, becoming his wife. They had one child that died in infancy and the 
mother's death occurred in 1857. In 1850 Mr. Powell had built the house 
and in 1854 the barn and had made other substantial improvements on the 
property. He was a shoemaker, having picked up the trade in his youth. 
His father agreed to buy the leather if Philip would make him a pair of boots, 
which he did, and thus the father got a better fit than his sons, who had 
hired their boots made. In the winter months, in his own home, Philip 
Powell followed shoemaking and throughout the remainder of the year car- 
ried on farm work. He was a man of strict religious views and life and was 
a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Association. In his family was much 
sickness, his second wife having been an invalid for seven years, while he 
was in poor health for about the same length of time. He broke up house- 
keeping and this necessitated his sons starting out in life for themselves. 



2 58 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Peter Powell was then nineteen years of age. He worked for his brother 
Joshua until he was married, March 24, 1861, to Elizabeth C. Cogley. After 
his father's death in 1866, he purchased the interest of the other heirs in the 
property and returned to the old home place in August, 1867. Here he has 
remained continuously since and has carried on general farming and stock- 
raising, both branches of his business being so well conducted that they bring 
to him success. He also has thirteen oil wells sunk upon his farm and of 
these twelve are in operation and have produced a fair income. He has 
also become interested in property in Findlay in recent years. 

In 1892 Mr, Powell was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who 
died July 2, of that year, after a happy married life of thirty years. They 
were the parents of six children : Jacob Sylvester, of Eagle township, mar- 
ried Alice J. Decker; Alice A. is the wife of Oliver Yates, of Eagle township; 
Simon Joshua married Lizzie Billman and is living in Seneca county; Emma 
V. is the wife of J. W. Foreman, of Eagle township; Elmina is the wife of 
William Yates, of Liberty township; Clemmons L. is at home. On the 27th 
of December, 1894, Mr. Powell wedded Mrs. Jennie Deeds, the widow of 
Levi Deeds, and a daughter of James and Henrietta (Leeder) Beard, of 
Marion township, Hancock county, where she was born. By her first mar- 
riage she had one daughter. Ivy Deeds, now fourteen years of age. 

With the exception of very brief intervals Mr. Powell has filled the 
office of justice of the peace since 1872 and his decisions are strictly fair and 
impartial, and during nine years of this time he was also township treas- 
urer. For two terms he has been trustee and has been a member of the school 
board. He belongs to the Evangelical Association, and is a class leader 
and trustee in the church, and in every office in which he has been called to 
serve he has been found true and faithful to the trust reposed in him and to 
the obligations devolving upon him. In politics he is a Democrat. In 1872 
he became a member of the Hancock Lodge, No. 73, Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows. 

WILLIAM C. DOTY. 

The family to which Mr. Doty belongs has been identified with Han- 
cock county affairs for over half a century, and none stand higher as citi- 
zens and business men. His father has lived on the same farm for sixty 
years, and has been a witness to the principal growth and development of 
Hancock county, most of which has occurred since the Civil war. John 
Doty was born in New Jersey, in October, 181 6, and came west in early 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 259 

manhood, settling first in Fairfield county, Ohio. In 1843 1^^ removed to 
Hancock county, where he met and a year or two later married Margaret 
Walters, who was born in Kentucky, November 22, 1823. Immediately after 
marriage he took his bride to the farm of one hundred and sixty acres, which 
he had bought in Jackson township, and there he has lived through all the 
eventful years that have since passed by. He has, of course, greatly improved 
his farm lands since the first crude days and besides many other additions 
both for beauty and comfort he put up a handsome brick residence in 1867. 
He has been quite active and influential in connection with township affairs, 
having held the office of trustee two terms, land appraiser one term and 
served sixteen years as township treasurer. The family are connected with 
the United Brethren church, of which Mr, Doty is now trustee and in the 
past has been class leader and steward. His eight children are Margaret J. ; 
William C. ; Ehjah; Henry, a presiding elder in the United Brethren church; 
Edward; John L. ; H. Walter, an attorney at Findlay; and Flora E. 

William C. Doty, second in the above enumerated list, was born on his 
father's farm in Jackson township, Hancock county, Ohio, December 10, 
1846, and grew to maturity on the old homestead. In August, 1876, he 
made his first business investment by purchasing sixty-two acres of land 
in Amanda township, but after working this four years he sold it and invested 
the proceeds in the farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Jackson town- 
ship which constitutes his present home place. During the twenty-two years 
of his occupancy Mr. Doty has greatly improved his estate in every way, 
especially by the erection of suitable outbuildings for storage of grain and 
housing of stock. He devotes his land to raising standard crops and keeps 
a sufficient amount of stock to consume the surplus, his operations being 
carried on by modern methods and that intelligent economy that insures the 
best results. 

On the 15th of October, 1871, Mr. Doty was married to Anna, daugh- 
ter of J. L. and Meletha (Clayton) Shields. Mrs. Doty's father was born 
in Virginia, and her mother in Maryland, near Sharpsburg. They became 
the parents of five children, Mrs. Doty being the youngest of the family. 
They moved from Fairfield county, Ohio, to Hancock in 1854, and located 
in Jackson township, where they both died, the father in his eighty-first year 
and the mother when seventy-five years of age. They belonged to the Meth- 
odist Episcopal church. Mr. and Mrs. Doty are parents of ten children, 
but of these the only ones living are: Fred S., John H., Edith, Harry and 
Edson. The family are members of the United Brethren church, in which 
Mr. Doty holds the position of steward, and they enjoy general esteem in the 



26o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

social circles of their neighborhood. In 1898 Mr. Doty built his present 
modern residence, a house of ten rooms and up-to-date in every respect. It 
cost about two thousand dollars and is a credit to the community in which he 
lives. He has also a fine barn, eighty-four by thirty-eight, with wing sixty- 
four by twenty. In fact Mr. Doty's farm is one of the model ones of the 
township. He has been a life-long Democrat, but would not accept any 
office, though tendered them many times. 

JOHN E. FINSEL. 

Not in the desultory manner that renders effort without result, but with 
steady persistence has John E. Finsel carried on his work, and to-day he 
is numbered among the substantial farmers of Washington township, in 
Hancock county. Here he resides on a well tilled and superbly conducted 
farm. Every fence and every building on the farm is indicative of the intelli- 
gent methods which he pursues and the persistence and industry with which 
he carries them through. 

Mr, Finsel was born in Sandusky county, Ohio, April 14, 1859. He 
is the son of John and Kunigunda (Walters) Finsel. These parents were 
both natives of Bavaria, Germany, where the former was born April 27, 
1823, and the latter April 3, 1827. In separate famihes they emigrated to 
America in 1848 and were soon married, their voyage across the ocean 
occurring in the same vessel. After their marriage they located in Fremont, 
Sandusky county, where John applied himself to his trade, that of shoemaker. 
At this business he continued to 1871, at which time he turned his attention 
to agricultural pursuits. He owned forty acres of land, to which lie soon 
added forty more, and by his industry became independent. In i860 he re- 
moved to Seneca county, where he died August 19, 1902. He favored the 
policies of the Democratic party, and in religious matters was a communicant 
of the Roman Catholic church. Their family consisted of two children, our 
subject, and a daughter Kate, now the wife of William West. 

John E. Finsel passed his life on the home farm in Seneca county with- 
out any event of special importance to break the monotony, attending the 
school of his home district in the winter, and passing the summer in the hard 
work of a pioneer farm. His advanced education was received at the Val- 
paraiso Normal School, in which institution he fitted himself for teaching. 
This, however, he found not to his taste and soon abandoned it for agricultural 
pursuits, in which occupation he has been more than ordinarily successful. 
In fact he has the reputation of being one of the finest farmers of his town- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 261 

ship. In 1 88 1 Mr. Finsel married Miss Mary C, daughter of John and 
EHzabeth Nause, to whom were born Bertha E., Wilham J., Ralph A., Albert 
C, Clara H., Ellen E., Colletta C, Coral J. and Cleo B. The wife was born 
in Sandusky county, March 20, 1859. Mr. Finsel bought his present farm 
in 1890. He and his family are devout communicants of the Catholic church, 
and he has received recognition at the hands of his fellow citizens by election 
lo the office of township trustee, serving also as clerk of the school board for a 
number of years. He favors in political matters the policies as set forth in 
the Democratic platform. He is an honest and upright citizen and as such de- 
serves the commendation which he receives from a large circle of friends and 
acquaintances. 

MARION A. COBB. 

Marion township has no more highly respected or worthy citizen than 
this well known farmer, who has spent his entire life in Hancock county. 
He resides on a farm of one hundred and fourteen acres, which he has culti- 
vated for a number of years. He was born in Cass township on the nth of 
July, 1845, the son of Alonzo H. and Jerusha (Palmer) Cobb. Here he was 
1 eared, later removing to Marion township where he received the education 
that is commonly given in the country schools. Upon reaching his maturity 
he chose farming for an occupation, and has since been engaged in its activi- 
ties. He bought his farm in 1876, and has continued to reside there since that 
time. He has made great improvements on the original place, and is now 
possessed of very modern property. The farm was formerly the property 
of William Davis, who was the brother of Mrs. Cobb. Mr. Cobb was joined 
in marriage on April 18, 1872, to Miss Sarah, daughter of William A. and 
Margaret Davis. Three children have come to bless their home. Viola M., 
Mamie E. and Harry A. Mrs. Cobb was born in Marion township on the 6th 
of March, 1845, and her family is further mentioned in another part of this 
volume. 

The parents of Mr. Cobb were natives of Vermont, where the father was 
born on December 4, 1809, and his mother, July 3, 1812. They removed to 
Hancock county, Ohio, about the year 1841, locating in Cass township on a 
farm of one hundred and sixty acres. Here the father died early in life, the 
date being- August 13, 1847. During his short existence he was a man of in- 
fluence in his township, and is remembered as having served a number of years 
as justice of the peace, which office he administered with great acumen. He 
in religious faith was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. His fam- 



262 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

ily numbered three children, Charles, deceased, born July 26, 1834; Ann 
Jenette, deceased, born December 11, 1843; ^.nd Marion A., subject of this 
bketch. Mrs. Cobb the mother of the family died July 29, 1891. The grand- 
father of our subject, James Cobb, came to Ohio and settled at the same time 
with his son, Alonzo H., on one hundred and sixty acres in Cass township. 
He continued to reside there until his death in 1847. He is remembered as a 
man of most powerful physique, weighing some 270 pounds. His height was 
six feet and seven inches. 

Mr. and Mrs. Cobb are passing the declining years of their lives among 
friends who delight to honor them. 

GEORGE H. PHELPS. 

An interesting because original character is the senior member of Phelps 
& David, one of the leading law firms in practice at the Findlay bar. Whether 
right or wrong there is never anything commonplace about Mr. Phelps, who 
seems to have an instinctive abhorrence of what Goldsmith called "that ras- 
cally virtue prudence," in his discussion of men and things. Not only has he 
opinions to express, but these are usually delivered with an emphasis and 
trenchancy which are sure to attract attention if they do not cause conviction. 
This temperamental characteristic accompanies his intercourse in all the rela- 
tions of life, with the result that Mr. Phelps is appreciated both as an entertain- 
ing and instructive companion, especially by those who abhor the overstocked 
"world of commonplace." Doubtless Mr. Phelps inherits his quality of deci- 
siveness from his lamented father who, by all accounts from those who knew 
him best, was a very remarkable man in more ways than one. Augustus H. 
Phelps was a native of New York, who spent most of his life on a farm which 
he employed some one to manage for him. He never failed to attract attention 
at first sight, his drawing qualities being both mental and physical. His 
physical appearance was indeed so striking as to extract admiration from any 
beholder and recall to the reader of Shakespeare Hamlet's famous description 
of his father in the scene with his queen mother. The perfect form, open and 
manly features, bright eyes and other personal adornments were backed by 
y mind of the greatest brilliancy and strength. Widely read in the best litera- 
ture of all peoples, a profound student of deep questions, and gifted with a 
conversational ability that was phenomenal an its range and lorcefulness, the 
elder Phelps was a companion whose talk entranced every listener. In his re- 
ligious views he was a freethinker and deeply versed in the works of all the 
great infidel writers from Voltaire to Ingersoll, but he denied being an atheist. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 263 

always saying in this connection that he could not realize an effect without a 
cause. Broad in all his views, he had a contempt for all that was little and nar- 
row, especially for cant and superstition in all its forms. He was fitted, had 
the opportunity offered, to become a leader among men and grapple success- 
fully with most difficult problems. But alas! 

"Full many a gem of purest ray serene. 

The dark unfathomed caves o£ ocean bear. 
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen 
And waste its sweetness on the desert air." 

Augustus H. Phelps died in 1897, in his eighty-first year,. 

George H. Phelps, son of the remarkable man sketched in the foregoing 
paragraph, was born at Hinsdale, New York, September 24, 1854, and re- 
mained on his father's farm until nineteen years old. Meantime he had at- 
tended school at intervals and formed a resolution to make a lawyer of him- 
self. With this end in view he borrowed some law books from the late Alex- 
ander Storrs, father of the famous Chicago advocate, Emory Storrs, and with 
these he secluded himself to pore over the mysteries of Blackstone, the deep 
logic of Greenleaf, and the quaint conceptions of Coke upon Littleton. A law 
student without a teacher is apt to become discouraged, and young Phelps was 
wise when in the spring of 1874 he sought aid in the office of Champlain, Arm- 
strong & Russell at Cuba, New York. He remained there one year as a clerk 
and had a similar position for another year in the office of Loveridge & Swift,, 
of the same town. In the spring of 1876 he entered the office of Enos C. Brooks 
at Olean, New York, as a clerk, remained there until April of the following 
year, when he was admitted to the bar at Rochester and returned to Olean to 
locate. He was engaged in the practice of his profession at that place for ten 
years and made his first appearance at Findlay in April, 1888. Shortly there- 
after he formed a partnership with Judge M. C. Whiteley, which continued 
only eighteen months, and after that time Mr. Phelps practiced alone until Oc- 
tober, 1899. He then entered into a partnership with W. L. David, Jr., which 
under the firm name of Phelps & David, continues at the present time. 

Mr. Phelps has never taken any part or interest in politics, office-seeking 
or office-holding, for the reason, as he expresses it, that the lawyer in his pro- 
fession and practice is sufficiently parasitical in a struggling society, and that 
in taking on politics he was adding insult to injury. He did, however, hold 
the office of notary public by appointment from the governor, until the Su- 
preme court of Ohio, on the relation of the attorney general, and on au- 



264 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

thority of the state constitution, ousted a Miss Adams from the office on the 
ground that ladies were inehgible, when he resigned his commission in a let- 
ter to the governor, in which he stated as his reason for resigning, that when 
it had come about that a bright woman could not adorn the office of notary 
public without having the constitution raised on her by a man, he regarded 
the office as a disgrace, rather than an honor. Mr. Phelps was married in 
] 882 to Miss Dell Canfield and to that union was born one living daughter — 
Nina A. Mrs. Phelps died in 1891 and in 1892 Mr. Phelps married his pres- 
ent wife, who was Ada C. Wicker, also of Olean, New York. In politics, he 
is at this date known as the ''Greenback party of Ohio." 

ALEXANDER MIELER. 

The subject of this sketch, whose name is given above, has achieved dis- 
tinction in two departments of industry, those of mechanic and farmer, and 
in both lines he has long occupied a well recognized position in the front 
rank. He worked in Hancock county thirty-two years at the carpenter's 
trade and gained the reputation of being the foremost builder in the county, 
remarkable for the neatness as well as the skill displayed in all his work. 
As a farmer, too, he ranked well up to the front in that long line of enter- 
prising agriculturists whose energy and resourcefulness have made the Buck- 
eye state so famous for its crops and stock. Though his family connections 
have long been identified with other parts of Ohio, Mr. Miller is their only 
representative in Hancock county, of which he has been a resident for forty- 
five years. 

His father, Isaac Miller, was born in Virginia in 18 14, but came to Ohio 
in early manhood and spent the most of his subsequent life in the county of 
Licking as a farmer. He was a successful business man and accumulated 
considerable means during his career. A member of the United Brethren 
church, he lived an upright moral life, and was esteemed both as a good hus- 
bandman and good citizen. After locating in Ohio he married Sarah Knep- 
per, a native of Fairfield county, where she was born in 18 18, and this union 
resulted in the birth of eleven children, of whom nine grew to maturity and 
seven are still living. Alexander Miller, one of the latter, was born on his 
father's farm in Licking county, Ohio, May 10, 1838, and remained there 
until the nineteenth year of his age. In March, 1857, he came to Hancock 
county, located in Blanchard township and followed the carpenter's trade, in 
which he soon acquired unusual proficiency. As his skill in this branch of 




(2Ali/£^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 265 

mechanics became known, he had no difficulty in obtaining work, and this 
he turned off so satisfactorily that for thirty-two years he was kept busy 
in his chosen calling. In 1859 Mr. Miller purchased from Fountain N. 
Clymer eighty acres of land in Blanchard township, which was at the time 
wholly unimproved but w^hich, with forty more acres added in 1871, has been 
brought to a high state of cultivation. After securing his first real estate, 
Mr. Miller divided his time between farming and carpentering, and attended 
to each with such assiduity as to obtain the best results. In fact, the Miller 
farm and the Miller houses vied wii:h each other in neatness of appearance 
and efficiency of workmanship, no job being turned out by this master me- 
chanic which was not able to withstand the most rigid criticism. In 1887 
he sustained a severe loss by the destruction of his barn and contents by fire, 
but this calamity was soon repaired by his energy and undaunted determina- 
tion. In place of the original buildings, newer and far finer ones were erected 
on the old sites, and now it is admitted that none superior are to be found in 
the township. All the surroundings are neat and attractive and the tasteful 
workmanship wnth all the modern improvements gives evidence of a master 
mind and hand behind the designs and construction. 

September 16, i860, Mr. Miller was united in marriage with Miss Me- 
lissa Wise, born in Blanchard township in 1843 ^^^ whose family is deserv- 
ing of more than a passing mention. Her grandfather, George Adam Wise, 
was a native of France and served as a soldier under Napoleon Bonaparte. 
He crossed the ocean in 1842, accompanied by his wife Barbara and settled 
in Hancock county, where both ended their days, he in 1846 and she in 1854. 
Among their six children was John Wise, father of Mrs. Miller, who ac- 
companied his parents from Wheeling, West Virginia, where he was born, 
and became a school teacher after settling in Ohio. He also learned car- 
pentering and W'Orked at that trade in conjunction with farming, between the 
two making a very comfortable living. Three of his four children are living, 
including Mrs. Miller, who is the only one of them residing in Hancock 
county. The latter's mother died March 4, 1886, and her father passed aw^ay 
August 6, 1 90 1, both much esteemed by those w^ho had known them best. 
Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Miller have had eight children, of whom Mary E., 
born in 1861, Martha J., born in 1863, and William H., born 1864, are de- 
ceased. Those living are Carrie W., born in 1866; Rose B., born in 1868; 
Grove E., born in 1873; Vernon E., born in 1880, and Merritt C., born in 
1883. Mr. Miller has never been an office seeker, but at the request of his 
neighbors served three years as assessor and one year as real estate appraiser 
of the township, being elected by the Republican party, to which he has always 



266 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

belonged. Both himself and family are members of the United Brethren 
church and in all the relations of life, as neighbors, friends and citizens, per- 
form their duties as good Christians. 

LUKE H. BROADWATER. 

In Luke H. Broadwater, the efficient manager of the Findlay Glycerine 
Company, the city of Findlay has an estimable and useful citizen. His birth 
was on a farm, in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, in 1870, where he remained 
until he was sixteen years of age, in attendance upon the public schools and 
assisting in the work of the farm. Subsequently he enjoyed excellent educa- 
tional advantages at Berlin, Pennsylvania, at New Centerville, and later at 
the Normal Institute, at Marshalltown, Iowa. 

Prior to locating in Iowa our subject taught school in his native state, 
and also followed that profession for three terms in Iowa. In 1891 he came 
to Findlay, Ohio, and for one year read law in the office of a local attorney, 
and then entered into the employ of the Bradford Glycerine Company, as 
bookkeeper, remaining with the concern from August, 1892, until April i, 
1897. The business then changed hands and Mr. Broadwater remained with 
the new firm for a few months, and then, with others, organized the Findlay 
Glycerine Company, entering the business as manager, and of which he is now 
president and general manager. This company supplies nitro-glycerine and 
shoots wells, their trade being a large one through the oil districts. Mr. 
Broadwater is also interested in two factories in Kentucky, one at Burnside 
and the other at Barbourville. These are the same kind as the Findlay com- 
pany. 

In 1895 Mr. Broadwater was first married, to Miss Amelia Ziegler, who 
died November 19, 1900. October 17, 1901, our subject was again mar- 
ried, Miss Catherine Wasson, of Findlay, Ohio, becoming his wife. 

In political sentiment Mr. Broadwater is a Democrat, but takes no 
active interest in politics, being a thoroughly practical business man, and 
closely identified with the interests of his company. His fraternal associa- 
tion is with the Elks, in which order he is very popular. 

MARY A. WOLFE. 

We are now privileged to touch upon the life history of one of Han- 
cock county's most estimable families, the immediate representative of which 
is the above lady, who is the widow of the late Levi Wolfe, of Marion town- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 267 

ship. She was born at Hagerstown, Washington county, Maryland, Septem- 
ber 22, 1833, ^^^'^ ^^ the daughter of Wilham and Margaret Davis, of the same 
state. Her parents left that portion of the country in the fall of 1833, and 
during the overland journey to Ohio they lost a son as the result of an attack 
of sickness. This misfortune caused them to remain for the winter at the place 
where it occurred, so that it was in the spring of 1834 before they finally 
reached Marion towaiship, of this county. Here the father entered a claim of 
forty acres, which he subsequently sold but soon bought another forty, which 
was increased at various times until his holdings amounted to six hundred 
acres of the most valuable land in the county. William Davis was a man of in- 
fluence and character in his township, where for a number of years he 
held the office of justice of the peace, and was also county commissioner for a 
long period. He was kind to the poor, hospitable to all, and a man whose 
friends were myriad. He was a worthy member of the Baptist church, and 
proved his usefulness in that denomination by an active and consistent re- 
ligious life. He was joined in marriage to Margaret Lafferty in 1830, and to 
this union there were born eleven children, nine of whom are now living. 
Mrs. Margaret Davis died in October of 1882, her husband having passed 
away a number of years before, in 1863. His death was caused by anxiety 
for a favorite son John, who was a soldier in the active service during the Civil 
war. He had been wounded at the battle of Picket Mills, where his father in 
i;earching for him contracted a cold, and which caused his death in the year 
above stated. He was a man of sterling qualities of character, and was 
missed by his host of friends. His life was one of usefulness, and he assisted 
in the events which helped to inaugurate the period of prosperity which his 
descendants now enjoy. The son John recovered from the wound, and return- 
ing to the army was unfortunate enough to be captured at the battle of Stone 
River. He was kept a prisoner in the lines of the enemy for a considerable 
period, but was finally exchanged and returned honie. Mary A. Wolfe w'as 
joined in marriage to Levi Wolfe on the 14th of August, 1851. The marriage 
resulted in the birth of four children : Margaret J., Lydia A., Fannie D., 
and John W., the last two deceased. Levi Wolf, the father of the family, was 
was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, on the 20th of August, 1825. He there 
received an excellent common school education which fitted him for his life of 
usefulness. In 1843 he, together with his parents. Rev. David and Lydia 
Wolfe, removed to Hancok county. They first located upon eighty acres in 
Marion township, to which they added afterwards fifty more. Their family 
numbered eleven children, but two of whom are now living, viz : John and 
Christian Wolfe. Rev. David Wolfe was a minister in the Evangelical 



268 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

church, and during his active career did much to build up that organization 
in that part of the state. By trade Levi Wolfe was a blacksmith in his younger 
life, but when the Civil war broke out he offered himself a willing sacrifice 
on the altar of his country, by enlisting in 1862 in Company E, Fifty-seventh 
Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. In the bloody battle of Shiloh, while 
trying to bind up a comrade's wound, he was taken prisoner and confined for 
a period at Macon, Georgia. He was finally exchanged, but was in such an 
emaciated condition as to cause his death before he reached home. He died in 
the city of Cincinnati on July 30, 1862. During his life he held some of the 
responsible township offices, was a man of influence in his neighborhood and a 
worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Previous to his army life 
he made provision for his family by laying the foundation for their present 
home. His kindness of heart and noble traits of character erected in the 
memories of the members of his family a lasting monument. 

ALDEN H. COBB. 

Alden H. Cobb was born in Cass township, Hancock county, Ohio, in 
1847, o^ the farm where he now resides, which has never been out of the fam- 
ily since it was purchased by his grandfather, Foster Cobb. The latter was a 
native of Vermont, as was also his wife, Elizabeth, who died in 181 1, hav- 
ing been born in 1782. 

In 1835 Foster Cobb with his four children moved upon the farm in 
Cass township, Hancock county, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres, 
and with the assistance of his son Foster, did much of the clearing and im- 
provement. He died on August 3, 1840. His second wife, Lydia, died in 
1835. His children were as follows: Alonzo, Chester, John, Foster, Jane, 
David, Nathan, Nancy and Elmira. 

Foster Cobb, fourth" in the above list of children, was born on June 
15, 181 7, in Vermont, and walked closely in the footsteps of his honored 
father, proving himself a most worthy citizen. He was a justice of the peace 
for many years, a trustee and held most of the local offices, filling each to 
the complete satisfaction of every one, being held in high esteem. He married 
Mary Davis, who was born in Fairfield county, Ohio. Of their four children, 
our subject is the only survivor. His father's death occurred in 1883, the 
mother of our subject having passed away in 1851. 

Alden H. Cobb was educated in the district schools of the time and place, 
but in great measure he fitted himself for the life of usefulness he has led. 
Mr. Cobb is a practical farmer and no one better understands the qualities of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 269 

soil and the advantages of different methods of agricukure than he. He is 
also a successful stockraiser, giving close attention to that part of his busi- 
ness also. April 29, 1875, he was married to Catherine, daughter of Jacob 
Stecker, who was born in Cass township, August 13, 1856. One son, 
Charles Curtis, was born to this union. 

Jacob Stecker was born in 1824, in Germany and emigrated to America 
in 1840, being at that time about sixteen years of age. He attained a position 
of influence in Hancock county, where he established his home, and for many 
years was a justice of the peace in Cass township. He was a worthy member 
of the Methodist church. Mr. Stecker died on October 12, 1901. He first 
married Rosanna C. Klink, a native of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, who died 
leaving four children, Mrs. Cobb being the eldest. His second wife was 
Mariah Jameson, who died February 22, 1899, without issue. 

Mr. Cobb is one of the intelligent and progressive farmers of Cass town- 
ship and his fine farm shows the cultivation which it receives. He is a leading 
member of the Lutheran church and has held the office of deacon in this re- 
ligious body, in public matters Mr. Cobb has always taken a deep interest 
and he has served the township at times as trustee and as clerk. lie is a man 
of enlarged ideas, possesses most excellent judgment and stands high among 
his neighbors on account of his many estimable traits of .character. 

CHARLES R. WATSON. 

The attractions of the life of a farmer are many; he is free and inde- 
pendent, monarch of all he surveys, so to speak, and he is the owner of the 
most stable and satisfying property in the world, little subject to the fluctua- 
tions of the market; while the sowing of the grain and the patient toil and 
waiting for the harvest add a touch of color to the occupation and afford 
something of the fever of the speculators on the stock market, uncertain what 
time may bring forth. And in the modern conditions of agriculture with all 
the late improvements there is a vast field for the progressive man who de- 
sires to make the most out of his land. 

One of the young and promising farmers of Union township, Hancock 
county, whose future outlook is clear and bright is Charles R. Watson. 
This hardy tiller of the soil is the son of William and Susan (Pieck) Watson, 
of Liberty township, who are well and favorably known citizens of the 
county. Charles made his advent into the world in Liberty township in 
1867, and with the usual lot of a farmer boy he spent his youthful days 
in learning: the duties of the farm, in attending the countrv school in the 



270 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

winter season, and enjoying, as only a farmer boy can enjoy, the sports and 
recreations of the country. He was an unusually bright and studious lad in 
school and he has found in after life abundant opportunity to apply the les- 
ions which he learned in the familiar old school. He early made farming 
the choice of vocations and has since devoted his best efforts to the work. 
He came into the possession of his present farm in 1899; it consists of two 
hundred and four acres of fertile and highly cultivated soil, which he de- 
votes to the raising of general farm produce and stock. Mr. Watson also 
has an interest in his father's farm in Liberty township. This farm is a val- 
uable one from the fact that there are twenty-eight producing oil wells in 
operation, and thus he has a share in the production of one of the most im- 
portant of the world's commodities, one, by the way, which has been avail- 
able for commercial purposes only a little more than forty years. 

In 1900 Mr. Watson celebrated his marriage to Miss Myrtie Oman 
the daughter of Jacob and Nellie Oman, of Eagle township, Hancock coun- 
ty; she was born in this township on December 20, 1876, and her parents 
are also natives of the same place and are members of nn old pioneer family. 
Mr. and Mrs. Watson are numbered among the county's highly respected 
citizens and enjoy a well deserved prosperity. He is a Democrat in political 
view^s, well known throughout the county. He engaged in the oil business 
in 1902 on the home farm in Liberty township. 

HENRY REITER. 

As one passes through an agricultural community and notes the general 
condition of the farms to the right and left and learns the general charac- 
teristics of the owners, he is soon impressed with the marked excellence of 
the places which are owned by German-Americans ; the large barns and other 
farm buildings, the well arranged grounds and well tilled fields, and the air 
of neatness and thrift pervading the whole place show the farmer of Teu- 
tonic origin to deserve rank among the peers of agriculturists and most 
substantial citizens. 

Henry Reiter, who is an enterprising farmer and resident of Union 
township, Hancock county, has the honor to be classed among these citi- 
zens of the fatherland. His parents, Sebastian and Charlotte Reiter, were 
both native Germans, who emigrated to this country in 1835 and settled 
in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, where they remained for two years. In 
1838 they removed to Hancock county, Ohio, making their home in Union 
township, and about 1842 they purchased a small farm of forty acres, just 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 271 

enough to give him a fair start, — and that was all he needed, — for at this 
time he was a very poor man. A few years later he sold the place at an ad- 
vance and in 1855 bought another and larger farm of eighty acres, now 
the property of his son and daughter, Sebastian and Lydia. Mr. Reiter was 
a good business man for one wdiose education had been necessarily limited 
and by his hard work and good management he accumulated enough prop- 
erty at his death to give each of his seven living children eight hundred 
dollars. He died in September, 1878, aged sixty-nine years, having been 
born in 1S09, while his wife, who was born in 181 6, passed away Decem- 
ber 28, 1898. They had eleven children, of whom six are now alive. 

The birth of Mr. Reiter occurred in Baden, Germany, before his parents 
left their native land. Being brought to this country at an early age he 
has been under American institutions and influences and is therefore a thor- 
ough American in everything except his birth. He has been a successful 
farmer and has owned and resided on his present farm since 1872. 

In 1 87 1 Mr. Reiter became the husband of Miss Eliza Brown, and to 
this happy union have been born three children, Franklin, on August 27, 
1872; Arthur, on March 26, 1874; and Mable, August 5, 1878. His first 
\\\it died in 1880 and for his second wife Mr. Reiter married Miss Leah 
Steiner in 1882, to which union no children have been born. Mr. and Mrs. 
Reiter are devout members of the Disciples church and enjoy the confidence 
and esteem of their many friends. 

SEBASTIAN J. REITER. 

Sebastian J. Reiter is a member of that class of farmers who are so much 
needed in every farming section and are necessarily prosperous because of 
their methods and excellent habits of doing things; he is a man of intelli- 
gence in regard to farming methods and believes in conducting matters on 
a thoroughly systematic basis, which is just as necessary in farming as in 
any other line of business. He is the son of German parents, Sebastian and 
Charlotte B. (Bookmiller) Reiter, wdio in 1835 came to America with a 
family of five children and located in Mercer county, Pennsylvania. They 
were in very poor circumstances when they arrived, being in debt to the 
amount of twenty-one dollars. In 1838 they moved farther west to Han- 
cock county and in the course of a few years bought a little farm of forty 
acres in Union township, where by his industry and capable management 
he obtained a vantage ground in the business world. He afterward sold 
this place and in 1855 bought the eighty acres of land which is now the 



272 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

property of our subject and his sister. Although an ilhterate man through 
force of circumstances, Mr. Reiter possessed the requisite quahty for suc- 
cess in this land of opportunity and at his death was able to give each of his 
seven living children eight hundred dollars, over and above the farm on 
which he resided and which was later bought by its present owners ; eleven 
children were born to them in all. In religious belief they originally belonged 
to the Evangelical church, later joined the Christian Union, in which faith 
they passed away, he in September, 1878, aged sixty-nine years and nine 
months, and his wife in December 28, 1898, aged eighty-two years. 

Sebastian J. Reiter is a native of Union township, Hancock county, 
being born January 10, 1852. and in his native place he was reared and edu- 
cated ; so well did he improve his opportunities in school that he was him- 
self able to instruct others and for six terms taught in the state of Illinois, 
He then traveled around extensi^'ely, getting as far west as Nebraska, and 
in 1882 he returned to his native county, where he has lived ever since. 
He and his sister Lydia live on their eighty acre farm, which he manages 
and is meeting with gratifying success. He still enjoys the blessings of 
single life and is devoted to his business. He has taken much interest in 
public affairs and has served his township in the capacity of trustee, assessor 
and supervisor. Like the other members of his family, he is a communi- 
cant of the Christian Union church. 



VALENTINE POWELL. 

No name is better or more favorably known in the agricultural circles 
of Hancock county than that borne by the subject of this sketch. He belongs 
to a numerous family connection, long established ni this part of Ohio, and 
identified permanently with its growth and development. The particular 
branch to which our subject belongs originated in the Keystone state, where 
his ancestors figured in the agricultural and industrial movements for many 
generations in the past. They sent forth offshoots toward the west during 
the pioneer period and had representatives at various points while the wilder- 
ness was being reclaimed. In 1834 Samuel and Sarah Powell, shortly after 
their marriage and while still enjoying the enthusiasm of youth, left Fair- 
field for Hancock county, Ohio, where they formed a permanent location in 
Liberty township. They reared a family of thirteen children, who, as they 
grew up, ramified throughout their native and neighboring counties and with 
their descendants furnished representatives to most of the various vocations 




^ (P^cr-Ott ^V->^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 273 

in life. As previously stated, the Powells, both of the older and younger 
generations, are most fa\ora1)ly known as citizens of probity and usefulness. 
Valentine Powell, son of Samuel and Sarah, was born on his father's 
large farm in Liberty township, Plancock county, Ohio, August 19, 1847, 
and was reared as well as educated in the neighborhood of the ancestral 
home. In 1864, when sixteen years of age, he enlisted in Company E, 
One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he 
served for four months and saw some active service in Virginia. In his earlier 
years he was engaged in the lumbering business, but later took up farming 
and has since adhered to agricultural pursuits. In 1878 he made his first 
purchase of land, consisting of eighty acres, in Blanchard township, which 
he has greatly improved and modernized. This tract constitutes Mr. Powell's 
present home, wdiose commodiousness and surrounding comforts afford 
ample proof of good husbandry. In 1871 he was happily married to Miss 
Sophronia, daughter of John and Mary Schoonover, well-to-do people of Lib- 
erty township, who was born January 11, 1852. This union resulted in the 
birth of eight children, of whom the seven now living are: Earl R., Carrie, 
Everett, Bertha, Olive, Carl and Orville. Mr. and Mrs. Powell are members 
of the United Brethren church. In politics Mr. Powell's affiliations have 
always been with the Republican party, but his interest is confined to voting, 
as he has never been either a seeker or holder of office. His whole attention 
has been concentrated upon his business, and that his efforts have been re- 
warded is seen by a glance at his well tilled and neatly arranged estate. He is 
a practical as well as progressive farmer and keeps abreast of zAX improvements 
relating to agriculture, employing the best implements and using only up-to- 
date methods. 

LEVI MILLER. 

Sixty years a resident of Orange township, Hancock county, there are 
not many who can boast to have lived here for a longer period. And when 
Levi Miller first arrived at the age when his boyish eyes would roam around 
him and take note of the strange scenes that greeted him on every side, he 
became acquainted with an entirely different environment than that which 
now lies before him as he goes down the other side of the slope of life. The 
log house which figured as the birth place and home of boyhood for many 
who have wrought and are now passing away is one of the curiosities and re- 
minders to the American of to-day of the transformations and progress of 
time; and as young Levi stood in the doorw^ay of his log home, he 



274 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

probably never dreamed, notwithstanding all the air castles which youth can 
construct of flimsy nothing, of the changes which would make this inland state 
almost the center of the great world of commerce and industry which was 
moving westward. 

His father, William Miller, who was born in Mahoning county, Ohio, 
came to Hancock county about 1840 and located in Orange township, on the 
farm which is now owned by Edward Battles. His occupation throughout his 
life was that of farming, but he died at the comparatively early age of forty 
years. He had married a native daughter of Vermont, Roxanna Patch, who 
lived to be seventy-eight years old and became the mother of five sons and 
four daughters. The third child and second son of these was Levi, and his 
birth was announced in that little house of hewn logs in Orange township on 
June 20, 1842. Until he was twenty years of age his life was not unusual, but 
\Vas sufficiently varied by his work on the farm and by his attendance in the 
winter at the old school house. But the Civil war came on and afforded all the 
interest that may have been lacking from his earlier career. He enlisted in 
1862 in Company D, Ninety-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and carried a 
musket in the ranks for twenty-seven months, at the close of which period he 
received his discharge on account of disability. He participated in the battle 
of Chickamauga and other engagements, but escaped without a wound; but 
he was taken sick and compelled to lie in the hospitals at Louisville, Kentucky, 
and Nashville, Tennessee, never recovering sufficiently to do active service. 

Returning from the war, Mr. Miller at first worked out by the month on 
the farms of the neighborhood, but he was married a few years later and then 
decided to take up a permanent location. He is not ashamed to recall that he 
and his wafe made their first home in a rather rude log house on the farm 
which he still owns. But time and his diligence soon rewarded him, and he 
has put up a good home, barns and all necessary farm buildings and devoted 
his eighty acres of land to general farming and stock raising. His farm is 
not only productive in the ordinary products of the soil but has five oil wells 
which furnish fuel for all time. 

The first marriage of Mr. Miller, which we have mentioned, was in 1870, 
to Mary Miller, who was born in Ohio and came to Hancock county when a 
child. This lady passed away after she had been his faithful companion for a 
number of years and had become the mother of three children. One of these 
died in infancy, while Newton was killed by the cars at Findlay ; the remain- 
ing son, John, is a resident of Bluffton, Ohio. Mr. Miller married his present 
wife in 1893; her name was Jane Reddick, the widow of Lemuel Reddick. 
Mr. Miller has not neglected the other phases of life's interests, and is a mem- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 275 

ber of the Grand Army post at Bluffton and remains a firm adherent of the 
RepubHcan party. His long residence in the county has identified him with 
many of the pubhc matters, and he is one of the well known citizens who 
help and are helped by the common welfare of the community. 

GEORGE W. WATKINS. 

Thomas Watkins, a native of Wayne county, Ohio, was the first mem- 
ber of this well known family to take up his residence in Hancock county. 
About 1825, when the country was still in that raw and unsettled state 
which precedes the full bloom of civilization, he located in what is now 
Union township. His wife, whose Christian name was Susan, bore him 
twelve children, and of this number ten grew to maturity. An example of 
his kindness in providing for his children has come down, that to each of 
these children as they successively reached maturity, he gave eighty acres 
of land, a good team and a plough, with which outfit they were well pre- 
pared to fight the battles of life. And not only did Thomas Watkins bear 
the reputation of being kind to his own family, but he was known every- 
where as an upright and self-sacrificing man, devoted to the best interests 
of his community and his fellow citizens. He was a farmer of the old pio- 
neer stripe, making the ver}^ best of all circumstances and never complain- 
ing at adverse fate. The period of his life extended over seventy-two years, 
from 1786 to August 19, 1858, and his wife, Susannah, was born in 1792, 
and died March 17, 1872, aged eighty years. Only one of their large family 
is now living. 

Isaac Watkins was one of the sons of the above parents and was born 
in Union township, Hancock county, in 1826. Being reared and educated 
on his father's farm and inheriting his father's generous equipment, he 
naturally took to farming on his eighty acres situated north of Mount Cory. 
In 1864 he felt it his duty to go to the defense of the Union and as a member 
of Company H, One Hundred and Ninety-second Ohio Volunteers, he was 
with General Sheridan on his famous raid through the Shenandoah valley, 
at the close of the war receiving his honorable discharge. He was married 
in 1845 to Esther Corwin, who became the mother of his nine children, 
seven of whom are living and two are residents of Hancock county. Later 
in life IMr. Watkins removed to the state of Michigan, where in 1893 he 
died at the age of sixty-seven years, but his widow is still living in that state. 

G. W. Watkins is the son of the last named parents, and his birth oc- 
curred in Union township in 1853, there being reared and educated. He 



276 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

has always followed agricultural pursuits and has met with marked success, 
such as one would expect from a man of his native energy and ability. His 
first farm consisted of one hundred acres and in 1894 he sold it and bought 
his present place of one hundred and sixty acres, which he devotes to gen- 
eral farming and stock raising. 

In 1877 Mr. Watkins was married to Miss Lydia A. Shoemaker, the 
daughter of Jacob and Judith Shoemaker, who was born on the farm upon 
which she now resides in 1859. Of the seven children born to Mr. and 
Mrs. Watkins, the five now living are Forest W., Charles M., Etta J., Jessie 
A. and Everett. While Mr. Watkins takes a true American's interest in 
political affairs in general he has never aspired to office. He is devoted to 
his family and the practical business of his beautiful farm, which is located 
to the south of the peaceful village of Mount Cory. 

GEORGE McARTHUR. 

The subject of this sketch is one of the contributors of Scotland to this 
country, and those acquainted with him agree that "old Scotia" has sent out 
no worthier or more industrious son. All of his adult life has been spent 
in America and most of it at Eindlay, where as a manufacturer of boilers 
he has done his full share toward the growth and prosperity of the city's 
industries. The British Isles are famous for their mechanics, whose rigid 
technical training and reliability in execution make them desirable acquisi- 
tions in every workshop in the world, and Mr. McArthur has shown him- 
self to be a worthy representative of this guild. 

George McArthur was born at Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1863, and thir- 
teen years later was brought across the ocean by his parents, who located in 
Canada. In 1881, when he had reached his eighteenth year, young McAr- 
thur went alone to Detroit, where he remained for fifteen years in the em- 
ploy of John McGregor in the manufacture of boilers, and then came to 
Findlay, where he has since been engaged in the boiler business. His fa- 
ther, Alexander McArthur, who was also born in Scotland, finally 
joined the son at Findlay and is now a resident of that city. Mr. McAr- 
thur has prospered in his business, in the management of which he has 
exhibited energy, skill and good judgment, and the products of his estab- 
lishment find no difficulty in obtaining purchasers. He has the Scottish 
fondness for fraternal fellowship and gratifies this social inclination by mem- 
bership in several of the important fraternities. Included in these is Masonry, 
in which ancient order he has reached the thirty-second degree, and he is 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 277 

also a member of the Odd Fellows, the Encampment, Knights of Pythias 
and Elks. In addition to this he is district deputy of the Knights of the 
Golden Eagle and altogether devotes considerable time to duties devolved 
upon him by connection with these various orders. Though in politics in 
sympathy with the Republican party, he neither seeks nor cares for ofhce 
and contents himself with a silent vote on what he considers the right side. 
In 1885 Mr. Mc Arthur was married at Detroit, Michigan, to Mary Mur- 
phy, by whom he has two children, George and James. The family moves 
in an excellent social circle and the members are welcome guests in the most 
substantial households of the city. 

WILLIAM A. WILLIAMSON. 

The noble art of husbandry has ever been the conservator of our na- 
tional progress and prosperity, and among those prominently concerned as 
its votaries in this section is the subject of this review. He was born in 
Orange township, Hancock county, Ohio, on the 19th of February, 1854, 
his parents being William and Jane (McCroskey) Williamson, the former 
born in Greene county, Ohio, in 1810, and the latter in Vriginia, in 181 3. 
Their marriage is believed to have been celebrated in Virginia, from which 
commonwealth they removed to Greene county, Ohio, and some years later 
took up their abode in Tuscarawas county, this state. In 1851 they cast in 
their lot with the early settlers of Hancock county, and in the following year 
Mr. Williamson purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Orange 
township, to w^hich he subsequently added an additional tract of eighty acres. 
At the time of the purchase this land was in its primitive condition, but 
during the lifetime of Mr. Williamson it was cleared and improved and be- 
came one of the valuable homesteads of the locality. This worthy pioneer 
was a valued and consistent member of the United Presbyterian church, and 
in his political views was a stanch supporter of Republican principles. Ever 
loyal and patriotic, he gave three of his six sons to the cause of the Union 
during the dark days of the rebellion, one, Granville L., having died from 
the effects of wounds received in the battle of Chattanooga, while Madison 
H. died of disease contracted in the army. Joseph H., who was taken 
prisoner previous to the capture of the city of Richmond, is now a resident 
of Orange township, Hancock county. Of the ten children born unto Mr. 
and Mrs. Williamson only five are now living. The mother was called to 
her final rest on the nth of September, 1877, and on the 24th of May, 1894, 
her husband joined her in the spirit world. 



278 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

William A. Williamson, the immediate subject of this sketch, remained 
in the township of his nativity until reaching mature years, and to its public 
school system he is indebted for the educational privileges which he was 
permitted to enjoy in his youth. Removing to Union township, he there con- 
ducted a farm belonging to his father, and in 1876 purchased forty acres of 
his present place, to which he has added from time to time until his landed 
possessions now consist of one hundred and sixty acres, eighty acres of which 
are located in Union township, while the remainder lies in Orange township. 
In addition to his general farming Mr. Williamson is also engaged in stock 
raising, shipping about one carload a year. The sheep which he raises are 
of a superior grade, as are also his horses and hogs, and in both branches of 
his business he is meeting with a high and well merited degree of success. 
Aside from his extensive private affairs he has also found time to devote 
to the public welfare, having for a number of years served as the assessor 
of his township, was also president of the board of education for several 
years, and in all the movements and measures intended to advance the inter- 
ests of his fellow men he has been an active and efficient worker. 

On the 14th of October, 18S0, Mr. Williamson was united in marriage 
to Miss Anna J. Hamilton, who was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, in i860, 
and is a daughter of James and Sarah Hamilton. This union has beai 
blessed with two children, — James M. and Ruah E. Both Mr. and Mrs. 
Williamson are members of the United Presbyterian church, in which the 
former has long served as a deacon and elder, also a Sunday-school superin- 
tendent and has held other minor offices. He has given his aid in many 
generous ways to the perpetuation of those forces which conserve the best 
interests of the community, and the course that he has followed in political, 
business, social and home circles commends him to the high esteem of all. 
He was a member of the board of agriculture four years, president of the 
same for two years and vice president one year. 

WILLIAM G. WAGGONER. 

William G. Waggoner, one of the loremost and most successful farm- 
ers of Marion township, Hancock county, Ohio, resides on a farm of eighty 
acres, which he devotes to general farming, and on which are a number of 
valuable gas and oil wells. Mr. Waggoner was born in Jefferson county, 
Ohio, March 4, 1840, and removed with his parents to this county when 
ten years of age. He has lived on his present farm since the year 1875. 
For a number of years he was engaged in the grocery business in Marion 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 279 

township, but finally abandoned it for the present occupation. In public 
life he has done his duty to his fellow citizens, having served them in the 
offices of township trustee, supervisor and school director. He is ever ready 
to take part in anything that will inure to the benefit of society in his county 
and state. He was united in marriage to Miss Rachel, the daughter of Will- 
iam and Margaret Davis on the 7th day of October, 1866. The children 
born to this union are: Edward L., Charles D., and Mary M. The eldest 
son, Edward L. married Laura Wisely, and now resides in Findlay; Mary is 
the wife of John Welsch, and resides in Findlay. Mrs. Waggoner was 
born in Marion township in 1843, and for the further consideration of her 
family the reader is referred to a sketch of Mary A. Wolfe. William G. 
Waggoner is a son of Edward and Eliza (Allen) Waggoner. His father 
was born in Jefferson county in 181 1, his mother in the same county in 1812. 
They were married on the 13th day of April, 1837, and their family num- 
bered seven children, five of whom are now living. William G. is the only 
one residing in Ohio, the others being residents of Michigan. 

In 1850 Edward Waggoner purchased eighty acres of land in Cass 
township, Hancock county, upon which he continued to reside until his re- 
moval to Michigan in 1875. In that state the father died in 1886 and his 
wife Eliza in 1884. 'I'he paternal grandmother of Mr. Waggoner was Mary 
Jackson, who was born in 1775, and died in 1840. She was related to Presi- 
dent Andrew Jackson. Her husband, William Waggoner, was born July 
I, 1776, and died in 1854. His maternal grandparents were x\aron and 
Mary Allen, who died in 1850 and 1843 respectively. 

Mr. and Mrs. Waggoner enjoy the esteem and confidence of a very 
large circle of the best citizens of Hancock county, whom they delight to 
receive and entertain in their pleasant rural home. In politics he is an earn- 
est Republican and cast his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln. 

NELSON COLEMAN. 

When Thomas Coleman arrived in Hancock county in 1840, the aspect 
of affairs was by no means so inviting as it is at the present day. There were 
no large towns, no manufacturing industries except of the rude pioneer 
kind, and farming had yet to assume that scientific and progressive form 
which now distinguishes the fertile fields of the Buckeye state. The famous 
and historic campaign of "log cabin and hard cider," coonskins and primi- 
tive emblems was then in full blast, which was to land "Tippecanoe and 
Tyler, too," in the seats of power at Washington. But young Coleman, 



280 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

newly arrived from his native state of Delaware, was thinking more of find- 
ing some way of making a living than he was of politics, though no doubt 
he was affected by the prevailing enthusiasm and perhaps lent a hand in 
landing General Harrison in the presidential chair. However this may be, 
it is recorded that he located near what is now Benton Ridge, purchased 
forty acres of virgin soil and. set to work manfully to cut and grub a home 
out of this primeval wilderness. That he succeeded is proved by the fact 
that before his death he not only made a productive farm out of the first 
purchase, but added to it about four hundred acres more, which was also 
brought to a high state of cultivation. In fact, Thomas Coleman was one 
of those stirring and industrious men who are up early and late, improve 
every moment of their time and are not satisfied until the best results obtain- 
able from busy minds and hands are visible before their eyes. He came to 
the country a single man, but found an excellent wife in the person of Susan 
Baldwin, a daughter of one of his neighbors and a native of Hancock county. 
This union proved happy and fruitful and eight of their nine children are 
still living, all residents of Hancock county, as follows : Nelson, Theodore, 
Oliver, Herbert, Viola, Jennie, Belle and Charles. Efiie, the fifth born, is 
deceased, and the father passed av/ay April 21, 1901, after a residence of 
nearly sixty-one years in Hancock county. 

Nelson Coleman, the eldest of the children, was born in Hancock coun- 
ty, April I, 1853, and was reared on his father's farm in Blanchard township. 
He was trained to farm work, while attending the common schools in sea- 
son, and has neveV followed any occupation except that connected with ag- 
riculture. In 1883 he bought fifty-six acres of land in his native township, 
only ten of w^hich were cleared, and it is only necessary to look at it now to 
realize that Mr. Coleman has fully improved his time as a practical farmer. 
It is in the best state of cultivation, well fenced, well cleared and well tilled, 
wath fine modern improvements and buildings up-to-date in all their con- 
veniences. He inherited his father's thrift, economy and industrious traits, 
and these are reinforced by observing and taking advantage of the latest 
discoveries in agriculture. All his life Mr. Coleman has been also 
engaged in the stock business in connection with general farming. In poli- 
tics he is a Republican and one of the leading men of Blanchard township. 

In 1879, Mr. Coleman married Miss Caroline Hopkins, one of the 
neighborhood girls, and a daughter of M. E. and Maria M. Hopkins, estima- 
ble people of Blanchard township. The four children resulting from this 
union were Harry E., Hall, Alma and Gale, the two first mentioned being 
called from life at an early age. The family are connected with the United 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 281 

Brethren church, in which ]\Ir. Coleman holds the position of trustee, and 
they enjoy the good will which is due to chose who spend blameless hves in 
an honorable calling. 

JOHN F. HIRSCHBERGER. 

Having been connected with the shoe business at Findlay for sixteen 
years, part of the time as salesman for others and latterly on his own ac- 
count, the subject of this sketch is now one of the best known men of the 
city in that line of trade. He is also regarded as one of the best informed 
of the merchants engaged in furnishing footwear to the public, besides en- 
joying the reputation which his urbane manners and accommodating dispo- 
sition have secured for him during his long years of contact with the people 
of Findlay and the territory tributary thereto. He has met with success in 
his ventures and those who know him most intimately will be ready to 
admit that this success is well deserved. As the name would indicate, he 
is of German origin, his father, Anthony Hirschberger, having been born 
in the empire of the Hohenzollerns in 1835. He came to America in his 
youth, first locating in New York state and later finding his way to the pretty 
town of Clyde, in Ohio. Throughout the period of his active life he was en- 
gaged in the business of shoe merchant and followed this occupation in 
Ohio until the time of his death in 1883. He was married in Rochester, 
New York, to Miss Kate Nape, by whom he had four children, the two sur- 
vivors being Mary, wife of Alfred Passey, of Clyde, and John F. Hirsch- 
berger. The latter, to whom this memoir is especially devoted, was born 
in Rochester, New York, in 1861, and was deprived of his mother by death 
four years later. He was eleven years old when his father located in Clyde, 
Ohio, and he remained there until 1886. He attended the schools of that 
place but the most valuable part of his education was obtained by his service 
in various capacities in the shoe store of his father, and under the latter's 
experienced tutelage. He commenced this apprenticeship at the age of 
seventeen and continued it until his father's death five years later. From 
1883 until 1886, Mr. Hirschberger was employed in other stores, one year 
as manager of the B. M. Lyons grocery and two years in the same kind of 
position at the clothing and furnishing establishment of E. D. Harkness. 
In 1866 he returned to ^'his old love" by being installed at Findlay as man- 
ager in the shoe store of George F. Tanner and retained this responsibility 
until January, 1893. In that year Mr. Hirschberger purchased the entire 
stock and good will of tlie business he had been supervising and has since 



282 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

been the sole proprietor. His previous experience, besides an inherited 
adaptabihty for this branch of trade, has enabled Mr. Hirschberger to in- 
crease the original business and carry it on to the entire success of a large 
line of patrons. He enjoys general esteem in the business world and is re- 
garded as a merchant of integrity as well as a citizen of good repute. In 
October, 1893, "^"^'^s solemnized the wedding of John F. Hirschberger and 
Miss Ella E., daughter of Thomas H. McCune, all of Findlay, where the 
ceremony was performed amid the congratulations of many friends. Mr. 
Hirschberger is a member of the two popular fraternities of the Knights of 
Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America, and is an esteemed addition 
to each of these orders. His political affihations are with the Democratic 
party and socially he and his wife enjoy the best that Findlay can afford. 

T. C. BOYD. 

T. C. Boyd comes from good old Dutch stock. The parents are both 
natives of Pennsylvania and the family has devoted itself for years to farm- 
ing. The father, R. W. Boyd, was born July 22, 1822; the mother, Almira 
Ewing, in June, 1834. They were married about 1852. In 1856 they moved 
from Ashland county, this state, and for five years lived upon various rented 
farms in Liberty township, this county. In 1861 they took hold of the 
eighty acres now the property of their son T. C. Boyd. The Half-Way 
House between Findlay and Macomb stood directly north across the road. 
Mr. Boyil kept his eye on that place and in 1868 he bought the establishment 
and the surrounding eighty acres. He not only wanted to use the land, but 
he wanted to put an end to the liquor business there. He tore down the 
hotel and later, in 1887, erected a fine, brick residence in its stead. Mr. Boyd 
has served his township in the office of trustee and as justice of the peace and 
has always been prominent in township affairs. Politically he sides with 
Republicans, and religiously he is a Presbyterian. At present writing 
(1902) he and his wife are living a quiet, retired life in Findlay. Of their 
nine children, four only reached maturity and are living to-day. They are : 
T. C, the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Mary Reed; Mrs. Etta Heimhoffer, 
and Mrs. Jennie Mitchel. 

T. C. Boyd was born in Ashland county, this state, November 5, 1855; 
but has lived in this county since he was six months old. He has taken kind- 
ly to the occupation of his forefathers and followed agriculture with con- 
siderable success. On his and the adjoining eighty acres of his father there 
are now forty oil wells, yielding a fine income. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 283 

On November 5, 1879, he married Miss Barbara, daughter of David 
and Catherine Sherrick, a young woman born in Liberty township in 1861. 
They have three children: Joseph M., born in 1880; Lois M., born in 1882, 
and Virgil, born in 1886. 

Mr. and Mrs. Boyd belong to the Presbyterian church and he is a 
prominent member of the Knights of Pythias. In political belief and interest 
Mr. Boyd is an earnest supporter of the principles of the Republican party. 

ALBERT J. TH0AL4S. 

Li various lines of employment the subject of this biography has been 
well known in Hancock county, since his business career began twenty-five 
years ago. He has been a school teacher, carpenter, salesman of threshing- 
mashines, agricultural implement dealer, tile manufacturer and finally a pro- 
ducer of oil, in which last capacity he has operated largely and successfully 
for some years past. During this period of multiplied employments, Mr. 
Thomas has gained a well recognized standing in the industrial world as 
one of the county's enterprising citizens. He inherits Welsh blood, strength- 
ened by Irish admixture, a combination that usually results in vigorous and 
energetic progeny who are able to make their way in the world wherever 
their lot is cast. Originating in Wales, the family emigrated to the north 
of Ireland and located in county Down. There James Thomas was born 
in 1792, married Mary A. Campbell in 1814, and with her emigrated two 
years later to America. After spending a few years at Carlisle, Pennsyl- 
vania, he settled in Wayne county, Ohio, in 1822, remained there until 1835, 
and then located permanently in Biglick township, Hancock county, where 
he died in 1879. His eleven children all grew to maturity, and six of these 
are still living as follows : Samuel B. ; Robert ; Ann, wife of Henry Shroy ; 
Joseph; Nathaniel and Martha. Robert Thomas, second of the surviving 
children, was born in Wayne count, Ohio, January i, 1827, came with his 
parents to Hancock county at the age of eight years, and since reaching ma- 
turity has been engaged in farming. In 1849 he married Dilly A., daughter 
of Solomon Little, had seven children, and the five of these who still survive 
are thus named: Albert J. and Alvin S. (twins), Alice R., Elsworth C. 
and Edgar P. Nathan H., the oldest, died April 9, 1899, and Libbie M. died 
September i, 1887. The mother died December 23, 1898, but the father is 
still living, having sold his farm and moved to Findlay in April. 1902. 

xMbert J. Thomas, eldest of the survivors and one of the twin brothers 
above mentioned, was born on the farm in Biglick township, Hancock coun- 



2 84 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

ty, Ohio, January 14, 1856. During his boyhood he received the ordinary 
farm training and education, but later had the benefit of a six months' 
course at the Normal school in Findlay. When eighteen years old he began 
to learn the carpenter's trade, which furnished him employment during three 
summers, and upon reaching his majority he engaged in school teaching in 
his native township. During the seven succeeding years, he continued his 
pedagogic labors in winter, and spent the summers and falls in selling thresh- 
ing machines, or such other work as could be obtained. In the spring of 
1880, in partnership with M. C, Sheraden, he built the first tile factory es- 
tablished in Biglick township, which was carried on by the firm for eleven 
years. At the end of that period Mr. Thomas embarked in the agricultural 
implement business at Findlay, in connection with I. C. Porter, and he con- 
tinued in this line for two years. In 1893 he engaged as traveling salesman 
lor the Flint & Walling Manufacturing Company, manufacturers of mills, 
pumps and kindred articles at Kendall ville, Indiana. In 1894, however, Mr. 
Thomas returned to Findlay and renewed the work of drilling water wells, 
which he caiTied on extensively throughout Hancock county. In the spring 
of 1896 he went into the oil business, leasing lands and drilling wells, and 
this has been his occupation up to the present time. The first twelve wells 
he drilled proved to be what is known to the craft as "dry-holes," but he 
'^struck oil"' in his thirteenth venture. In fact he has been one of the most 
successful of the many oil producers in the Findlay field and is able to show 
good results from his years of arduous labor. Mr. Thomas has never mar- 
ried but belongs to the class who rejoice in "single blessedness" and freedom 
from matrimonial restraint. He is, however, a man of regular habits and 
upright life, a member of the Methodist Episcopal church in good standing, 
and active in connection with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In 
politics he is a Republican. 

SHELDON WOODRUFF. 

Sheldon Woodruff resides in Eagle township, Hancock county, upon 
the farm on which he was born, July 10, 1842, his parents being Elijah and 
Sarah (Walters) Woodruff. The father w^as a native of Ohio, born in 
Pickaway county, July 28, 1806, and the mother's birth occurred in Jeffer- 
son county, Kentucky, December 17, 18 19. She was brought to Hancock 
county by her parents about 1827. All the grandparents of our subject died 
in comparatively early life with the exception of the maternal grandmother, 
who reached an advanced age and passed away during the boyhood of Shel- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 285 

don Woodruff. Her only living child is Margaret Doty, the wife of John 
Doty, Sr., of Jackson township. The parents of our subject were married 
in Eagle township, October 16, 1836. He had two brothers, Adam and 
William, who also settled in Hancock county and both died here, the latter 
many years ago. There were also two sisters who became residents of the 
county — Polly Ann, the wife of Peter George, and Hannah, who married 
Bonaparte Martz. Both of them were well advanced in years when called 
to their final rest. 

Elijah Woodruff had about thirty acres of land at the time of his mar- 
riage and in the cabin home on that farm his two eldest children were born. 
He later built the home in which Sheldon W'oodruff is now living and in 
it the other children first opened their eyes to the light of day. He also 
erected a large farmhouse in the same year, but it was afterward destroyed 
by fire. The father entered his first land from the government and our sub- 
ject now has in his possession three old parchment deeds, according him the 
ownership of property. The first is for one hundred and sixty acres of 
state land, which had been granted to the state to aid in building canals, and 
the deed was signed by Governor .\llen Trimble, in October, 1829. Another 
deed for forty acres was signed May 6, 1835, '^^'^^ bears the signature of 
President Andrew Jackson. A third for forty acres, dated April 18, 1837, 
was signed by Martin Van Buren. Taking up his abode in a little log cabin 
built in the primitive manner of pioneer times Elijah Woodruff began the 
development of his farm and placed about sixty acres of his land under 
cultivation. He died May 20, 1865, and his wife passed away Alarch 30, 
1886, at the age of sixty-six years, three months and three days. After the 
death of her first husband she married John Bickelhaupt, with whom she 
lived about two years and then returned to the old homestead, where her 
remaining days were passed. She was very devoted to her family and was 
an earnest Christian woman, who became one of the charter members of the 
United Brethren church at Pleasant Grove. ^Ir. ^^^oodruft' was a Democrat 
in his political affiliations but was never an office seeker. In their family 
were three children who died in childhood, while five reached years of ma- 
turity and are still living. These are: Benjamin, who owns a part of the 
old homestead; Samantha S., the wife of R. M. Henderson, of Dunkirk, Ohio; 
Angeline, the wife of John S. Bishop ; and \\'illiam. who also owns a part 
of the old homestead. 

The other member of the family is Sheldon \\'oodruff of this review. 
He was reared upon the old farm and has spent his entire life here. The 
three brothers purchased the interest of the other heirs in the property and 



286 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

all lived together during the mother's lifetime, but after her death the prop- 
erty was divided, each taking a share of the farm. Mr. Woodruff has always 
carried on agricultural pursuits, and his land returns a good tribute for the 
care and labor he bestows upon it. 

On the 1 8th of February, 1864, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. 
Woodmff and Miss Missouri Alspach, a daughter of George W. and Eliza- 
beth (Zoll) Alspach, of Eagle township. Mrs. Woodruff" was born in this 
township, January 17, 1846, and by her marriage has become the mother 
of four children. Ella is the wife of E. J. Pepple, of Jackson township. 
Harry, also of Eagle township, married Matilda Hartman, and has two 
children, Lola and Orval. Floyd, who operates his uncle Benjamin's farm, 
married Jennie Hoy, and they have one child, Farrell. Ollie, who cultivates 
his father's home farm, wedded Lillie Decker. 

Mr. Woodruff is a Democrat and has some times served as a delegate to 
the conventions of his party, but has never had any aspirations for office, 
though he was trustee for six years. He attends and supports the Pleasant 
Grove United Brethren church, and devotes his life to the farm, whereupon 
he has spent his entire days, so that the place is endeared to him through the 
associations of his boyhood and manhood. 

JOHN W. GRIMM. 

Though practicing at the Findlay bar only about twelve years, the sub- 
ject of this sketch has not only done well but may be said to have achieved 
a notable success, considering the competition he has had to meet. Besides 
the business transacted in the ordinary channels he has held the posititon of 
deputy probate judge for seven years, and is at present referee in bank- 
ruptcy for the northern district of Ohio. Besides his industry and energy 
as a practitioner and the conscientious discharge of such judicial positions 
as he has held, Mr. Grimm has the recommendation of geniality in tempera- 
ment and courtesy of address which brings its possessor in easy touch with 
the multitude and gains friends from widely diverse elements. These quali- 
fies make him one of the most popular, as he certainly is one of the most pro- 
giessive, members of the local bar. 

The Grimm family seem to have been long settled in Pennsylvania and 
well represented in the industries as well as the professions. John Grimm, 
grandfather of the Findlay attorney, was born in Beaver county, Pennsyl- 
vania, in 1814, spent his life as a farmer and grist-miller, and died in his 
native state in 1886. His son, Joseph Grimm, became in after life a noted 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 287 

minister of the Church of God, and owing to his evangeHcal peregrinations 
was known over a wide scope of country in different states. He was born in 
Beaver county, Pennsylvania, in 1837, was ordained at an early age and spent 
his whole life in the cause of religion, not ceasing to labor "in the vineyard" 
until death claimed him in October, 1900, while a resident of Allegheny 
county, of his native state. This reverend gentleman owmed and for many 
years successfully operated a farm in Moon township, Beaver county, Penn- 
sylvania. He married early and became the father of eight children, the 
second of whom was John W. Grimm, whose birth occurred at Freedom, 
Pennsylvania, July 31, i860. The children of itinerant preachers are apt 
to see considerable of the world, as their fathers travel from place to place 
and stay nowhere for any great length -of time. By this process of moving 
around continuously, young Grimm's rearing and education were not lack- 
ing in such variety as could be given by frequent change of place, but for 
this very reason doubtless possessed additional elements of advantage. The 
boy grew up to manhood mostly in western Pennsylvania, and among the 
more important schools attended were Mt. Pleasant Institute and the State 
Normal at Edinboro, both in Pennsylvania. He taught school for a number of 
terms in the public schools of Beaver county, Pennsylvania. After Mr. 
Grimm came to Findlay in 1886 he entered the college of that place and put 
in two years of hard study by way of a finishing course. Upon leaving this 
institution in 1888 he immediately entered upon the study of law under Theo- 
dore Totten, and made such headway as to be admitted to the bar in 1890. 
He opened an office in Findlay without delay, but was hardly well started in 
general business when, in 1891, he was appointed deputy probate judge, the 
duties of which position occupied the principal part of his time until 1895. 
At the present time he is one of the referees in bankruptcy for the northern 
district of Ohio, with headquarters at Findlay. Soon after coming to Ohio, 
Mr. Grimm purchased a farm in Hardin county, and has been much inter- 
ested in Ohio farming ever since. 

In 1889 Mr. Grimm was married, at Findlay, to Miss Alice, daughter of 
William B. Miller, and they have five children: Bernice, DeWitt Miller, 
Helen, John and Flora. W. B. Miller, the father of Mrs. Grimm, was born 
in Fairfield county, Ohio, and is one of the pioneers of Hancock county, hav- 
ing now reached the age of seventy-eight years. He is a farmer and stock 
raiser by occupation, and is one of the leading Republicans of the county. 
Mr. Grimm is also one of the leading Republicans of Hancock county and 
also of northwestern Ohio. He has for many years attended nearly all of 
the conventions of his party, both state and local, and has been a member of 



288 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

the central and executive committees for many years. In his fraternal rela- 
tions he is a member of the Masonic order, Findlay Lodge, No. 227; of the 
Knights of Pythias Lodge, No. 400 ; and of the Modern Woodmen of Amer- 
ica, Bishop Camp No. 4678, of Findlay. He and his family are leading mem- 
bers of the First Presbyterian church of this city. 

DANIEL WALTER. 

The subject of this sl<etch, a prosperous and much esteemed farmer of 
Blanchard township, is descended from German parents who emigrated while 
young and became pioneers of Hancock county at an early period of its his- 
tory. Peter W^alter was born in Germany in 1796, and served six years in the 
army of his native land during his early manhood. He married Anna M. 
Ginder, whose birth occurred May 6, 1819, in Switzerland. He made his way 
directly to Ohio, where Mr. Walter purchased eighty acres of virgin forest in 
Blanchard township. It took much hard work to "whip this land into shape." 
but by assiduous labor and wise management this worthy couple eventually 
brought their farm to a high state of cultivation, and, as prosperity smiled 
upon them, by degrees added one hundred and sixty acres more to their estate. 
Peter Walter came to this country extremely poor, and all his accumulations 
were due to the efforts of himself and wife, who proved a most valuable assist- 
ant during the period of struggle. They finally obtained a firm foothold 
financially and were much esteemed socially, Mr. Walter himself being an 
industrious, unassuming man of tlie strictest integrity and honesty. He was 
a man of remarkable physique, robust and possessed of an unusually strong 
constitution, qualities wdiich stood him in good stead for the hard work neces- 
sary at the beginning of his career. He was a consistent member of the United 
Brethren church and model of uprightness and good morals in all the affairs 
of life. Peter Walter ended his long and honored career in 1875, at the age 
of seventy-nine years. He was married three times, and all of his wives are 
now deceased. Their family consisted of five children, of whom three are 
still living and all residents of Hancock county. 

One of these survivors is Daniel Weaker, subject of this sketch, who w^as 
born on his father's farm in Blanchard township, Hancock county, January 9, 
1843. He was reared to farm work while getting the benefit of such educa- 
tional opportunities as were afforded by the common schools, and has de- 
voted all of his adult life to agricultural pursuits. At the death of his father 
he inherited the liome farm, his holdings now consisting of two hundred and 
forty acres of valuable land in two tracts. This property has been managed 




<:^)^?H^^-^UCt^ ^f^Ll^Di^ /yU<jpL,^^UT^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 289 

and operated with skill and good judgment, being devoted to stock raising 
and the standard crops of the latitude where located. Mr. Walter has greatly 
improved the appearance as well as the quality of his land since taking charge, 
the most noticeable changes being the erection of commodious buildings of 
modern construction, adapted to the needs of up-to-date agriculture. He is 
practical in his methods and has inherited the fine qualities which brought 
such marked success to his lamented father. 

December 20, 1866, Mr. Walter was married to Miss Louisa J., daughter 
of Daniel and Phebe Flick, whose birth occurred in Union township, June 7, 
1847. Her parents were old settlers of Hancock county, who acquired own- 
nership of one hundred and sixty acres of land and were much esteemed in 
the circle of their acquaintance. The union of Daniel and Louisa Walter 
I)roved prosperous and happy, their five children being reared in health and 
strength and all now married with the exception of the youngest. Mary E., 
the eldest daughter, was born August 9, 1868, married W. C. Elsea in March, 
1 89 1, and has two children, Bernice E. and Walter C. Clara A., the second 
daughter, was born February 7, 1872, and married Dr. E. A. Powell, by whom 
she has one child, Avery D. Emmet C, the third child and only son, was born 
May 12, 1874, and married August 16, 1896, to Jettie Bish, and has one child, 
Velma Lucile. Ida V., who was born April 29, 1880, was united in marriage 
with W. L. Daymon on the loth of November, 1898, and had one child, 
Marie, now deceased. Eva VV., the youngest of the children, whose birth oc- 
curred January 28, 1885, still remains at home. Mr. and Mrs. Walter are 
both members of the United Brethren church. In politics he is a Democrat. 

HAMILTON L. RAMSEY. 

It is a pleasure to enter in this work a brief review of the genealogical 
history and personal career of the popular and efficient chief of police of the 
city of Findlay. His life has been one of continuous application and he has 
gained prestige as an able and discriminating business man and official, while 
he has so ordered his life as to retain the respect and esteeem of those with 
whom he has been thrown in contact. He has passed practically his entire 
life in Ohio, and from his youth has depended upon his own resources, so that 
he is thoroughly appreciative of the dignity of honest toil and is known as a 
W'hole-souled, tolerant and genial gentleman. 

Back to that cradle of much of our national history, the Old Dominion 
state, must we turn in tracing the genealogy of Hamilton Lee Ramsey, and 
he himself is a native of that patrician old commonwealth, having been 



290 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

born in Augusta county, Virginia, on the i6tii of September, 1861. In 1865 
he accompanied his parents on their removal to Washington Court House, 
Ohio, where they maintained their home about five years, then removing to 
Bucyrus, in which place our subject received the major portion of his early 
education. At the expiration of about six years they removed to another 
point in Crawford county and a year later to Shelby, which was the family 
home for two years, and thereafter they resided for intervals of greater or 
less length in other parts of the state, while in 1882 our subject came to 
Findlay, and has ever since been a resident of Hancok county. Here he was 
employed at farm work for two years, and then turned his attention to the 
building of oil rigs in the oil fields of this locality, having been identified with 
this line of work from the time of the discovery of oil in Findlay up to April, 
i 900, when he was appointed to his present responsible office as chief of police. 
He has brought to bear marked energy and judgment in the discharge of the 
duties of his ojffice and has made his department a model of efficiency, safe- 
guarding the city and adequately handling such malefactors as seek to in- 
fringe law and order. He is a thorough disciplinarian, but has the respect 
and high regard of his men and the confidence of the general public. He is 
also popular in fraternal circles, being identified with the local organiza- 
tion of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Knights of 
Pythias. His political allegiance is given to the Republican party. 

In th year 1888, at Dunkirk, Ohio, Chief Ramsey was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Florence Alexander, the daughter of Joseph B. and Charlottie 
(Smith) Alexander, and they have a pleasant home at 218 West Main Cross. 
The chief is familiarly known by his second name, Lee. 

Rev. Osbert Hamilton Ramsey, the father of our subject, was born in 
Augusta county, Virginia, in 1829, and was there reared and educated. He 
was a wheelwright by trade and followed this vocation for a number of 
years. At the outbreak of the Civil war he held commission as first lieu- 
tenant in the Virginia militia, and was given the same rank in the Confed- 
erate service, becoming a member of Company F, Fifth Regiment of In- 
fantry, which was assigned to Stonewall Jackson's brigade. He served as 
first lieutenant until the spring of 1862, when he was detailed to superintend 
the manufacture of saddles for the cavalry, in which connection he was lo- 
cated in turn at several different points, passing the greater portion of the 
time at Clarksville, West Virginia, where he remained until February, when 
he came to the north, securing a position in a machine shop at Pittsburg 
Landing, Pennsylvania, where he remained for a year and then removed to 
Washington Court House, Ohio. In 1872 he entered the ministry of the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 291 

United Brethren church and rendered effective service to this denomination 
until 1886, when he united with the Wesleyan Methodist conference, with 
which he has since been identified as a zealous and devoted clergyman, 
being now located in Greersville, Knox county, Ohio. In the year 1842, in 
Virginia, he was united in marriage to Miss Ann Brown, who still survives. 
They became the parents of six children, of whom two sons and one daughter 
survive, namely : Augusta V. ; the widow of John W. Michener, of Dela- 
ware, Ohio; H. Lee, the subject of this sketch; and William H., who is a 
clerk in the department of justice in Washington, D. C. 

HAVILAH L. PARKER. 

This gentleman, who is one of the most progressive and successful 
agriculturists in Hancock county, is the renter of a valuable farm in Marion 
township, and his management of the estate is marked by the scientific knowl- 
edge and skill which characterizes the modern farmer. He was born at Find- 
lay and throughout his active business life has been prominently identified 
with the agricultural and industrial interests of Hancock county. The date 
of his birth was April 28, 1853. He was reared and educated in his native 
town, and has been a continuous resident of the county ever since. His pa- 
rents were George W. and Margaret (Anderson) Parker. Mr. Parker was 
a native of Virginia, while Mrs. Parker was born in Wayne county, Ohio. 
The Parkers are of German extraction, while the Andersons are natives of 
the Emerald Isle. 

Havilah L. Parker operates the Burnes farm, consisting of ninety- 
seven acres of land, on the Sandusky road, two miles east of the city of 
Findlay. He is a man of many fine traits of character, a member in good stand- 
ing in the Methodist Episcopal church of Findlay, a member of 
the Protected Home Circle, a fraternal organization, and a gentleman 
in whom his neighbors have implicit confidence. His married life dates from 
January 7, 1879, when he was united to Miss Irene, daughter of George W. 
and Emily Graham, of Findlay, and to this most felicitous union twelve chil- 
dren have been bom, nine of whom are living: — Nellie B., born November 
23, 1881, a successful and popular teacher in the Findlay public schools; 
Lemuel O., born July 20, 1883; Clark L., born November 4, 1886, a student 
in college at Findlay; Ruby M., born May 3, 1890; Willard H., born Decem- 
ber 7, 1891 ; Roy C, born February 17, 1894; Florence, born July 20, 1895; 
Helen L., born July 18, 1898; and Clara F., born August 9, 1899. 
Lemuel O., after finishing at Findlay College, received from the board 



292 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

of agriculture a free scholarship in the Ohio State University, and 
is now there. He is very popular and is making his way by his industry. 
Mrs. Parker, the mother of these children, is a native of Big Lick township of 
this county, where she was born October 21, 1858. George W. Parker, the 
father of the subject of this review, was born in Virginia in 1825, came to 
this county in 1849, located at Findlay and died in March, 1899. He was 
a cabinet and chair maker, and for many years was in partnership with Mr. 
J. R. Clark, now a prominent business man of Findlay. He was a man of 
great force of character and of considerable influence in the community in 
which he resided, being connected with much of the public service. He was 
a firm believer in the principles of faith as enunciated by the Methodist 
Episcopal creed, and held membership during his entire life in the church 
of that name in Findlay. He was an active member of the organization, 
having for long years prior to his death been a class leader. His family 
consisted of seven children, five of whom are now living, namely : Havilah L., 
the subject of this review; Jonathan A.; Mary C. ; Phila J.; and George W. 
The father died March 4, 1899 and the mother of the family, who was a lady 
of fine intelligence and many estimable traits of character, still lives at the 
age of seventy-three years. John Graham, grandfather of Mrs. Parker 
was a native of Virginia and one of the first pioneers of Hancock county, 
where he entered one hundred and sixty acres of land which still remain in 
the family. George W. Graham, his son and father of Mrs. Parker, is liv- 
ing in retirement at Findlay, after a successful career as a farmer. 

THO^IAS H. CLYMER. 

Thomas H. Clymer, a young man of superior business ability and ex- 
ecutive force, whose labors are bringing to him creditable and gratifying 
success in industrial circles, is a native son of the Buckeye state. His birth 
occurred in Union township, Hancock county, on the i6th of November, 
1861, and he is a grandson of Francis and Susan Clymer, who removed 
from Fairfield county, Ohio, to Hancock county in 1834, being accompanied 
by their family, and the father of our subject was one of the number. Francis 
Clymer entered one hundred and sixty acres of government land in Union 
township, one hundred and eight acres of which is now owned by his son 
David, and he was one of the sturdy old pioneers of the commonwealth. 
With his family, consisting of six children, three of whom are now living, he 
endured the privations incident to a new and unsettled country, and he nobly 
bore his share in its subsequent development and improvement. Both he and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 293 

his wife lived to a good old age, and in their death the community suffered 
the loss of true and upright citizens, 

David Clymer, the father of him whose name introduces this review, 
is now the only member of his father's family residing in Hancock county. 
He was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, in 1828, and in his youth accom- 
panied his parents on their removal to this county, wdiere he has won an 
enviable place among the progressive and intiuential agriculturists of his com- 
munity. His landed possessions consist of about eight hundred acres, and 
he is recognized as one of the largest real estate owners in Hancock county. 
His career has ever been such as to warrant the trust and confidence of the 
business world, for he has always conducted all transactions on the strictest 
principles of honor and integrity, and at the same time his devotion to the 
public good is unquestioned. Mr. Clymer was united in marriage to Emily 
Cook, also a native of Fairfield county, where her birth occurred in 1830, and 
this union was blessed by the birth of eight children, five of wdiom are now 
living, and all are residents of Hancock county. They have all been pro- 
vided with excellent farms, the result of the father's forethought and enter- 
prise. In political matters the Clymers have long been allied with Demo- 
cratic principles. 

Thomas H. Clymer, the immediate subject of this review, w^as reared 
and educated in the township of his nativity, and here he has spent his en- 
lire life. After completing his studies he assisted his father in the work of 
the home farm until his marriage, after wdiich he purchased and removed to 
his present place. He is a young man of exceptional promise, and his fellow 
townsmen, recognizing his worth and ability, have chosen him as a mem- 
ber of the school board, in which capacity he has served for seven years. 
For his wife he chose Miss Nora, the daughter of Henry Aurand. Their 
marriage was celebrated in 1884, and four children have come to brighten 
and bless their home, — Jessie, Estella, Lewis and Grace. Mrs. Clymer was 
born in Blanchard township, Hancock county, in 1866. The family are held 
in high esteem in Hancock county, and their many excellent qualities render 
rhem favorites with a large circle of friends. Mr. and Mrs. Clymer are mem- 
bers of the United Brethren church. 

WILBUR F. TRUESLOW. 

The above named gentleman has devoted all the active years of his busi- 
ness life to the carpet trade, in which he has been employed in various cities 
and states and is a recognized expert in that line. He has also risen to prom- 



.294 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

inence in the political world at Findlay, where he has long been connected 
with public affairs, and at present holds the position of president of the city 
council. His father, George W. Trueslow, w^as born at Maiden, now West 
Virginia, in 1813, and after reaching manhood removed to Lynchburg, Vir- 
ginia, where he accumulated a fortune amounting to near one hundred thou- 
sand dollars in the mercantile business. He was intensely Union in his sen- 
timents, however, and when the Civil war opened found it impossible to live 
in the hotbed of secession where he found himself, the result being that he 
had to leave at a sacrifice of all his hard-earned wealth. He therefore fled 
with his family to the more congenial atmosphere of Illinois, and about 1861 
enlisted, at Jacksonville, in Company F, Eighty-seventh Regiment, Illinois 
Volunteer Infantry, of which he was elected captain. He served gallantly 
with his command until ill health compelled his resignation in December, 
1864. In 1866 he removed to Hannibal, Missouri, where he engaged in the 
lumber business, which he carried on until his death in 1876. About 1850 he 
was married at Gallipolis, Ohio, to Mary A. Jewell, by whom he had three 
children: Alice, deceased wife of George W. Hugo; Wilbur F. ; and Silas, 
who died in the nineteenth year of his age. 

Wilbur F. Trueslow, second of the children, was born in Lynchburg, 
Virginia, January 29, 1853, ^.nd was consequently eight years old when his 
parents fled to Illinois to escape the fury of the hot-headed ''secesh." While 
the father was absent in the army his family continued to reside at Jackson- 
ville, and later, as previously stated, accompanied him to Missouri. Wilbur 
F. attended school at Hannibal, and remained there until 1871, when he went 
to St. Louis and secured employment in the carpet store of Henry Barr. He 
retained this position about six years and then entered the carpet store of 
Albert Gall at Indianapolis. After a period of five years in the Indiana 
capital Mr, Trueslow's next move was to Cincinnati, where he took service 
with Lowry & Goble, and remained with that well known firm of carpet 
dealers until 1888. In June of that year he transferred his scene of opera- 
tions to Findlay, where he has since been engaged in laying carpets for the 
large firms in that city. 

Mr. Trueslow is rather fond of the excitement of politics, and has long 
been active on the Republican side in the political battles that have made Ohio 
famous. In 1898 he was elected to the city council from the seventh ward of 
Findlay, and was endorsed by a re-election in 1900. At the organization of 
the council in that year he was chosen vice president, and several months 
later, upon the resignation of the president, succeeded to that place by elec- 
tion, and in April, 1900, was elected to succeed himself in the same honorable 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 295 

position. He has travele-J over a vast amount of territory for a man of 
moderate means, having visited every state and territory of the Union with 
the exception of the far eastern states. He has made the trip from Denver to 
Pike's Peak, by government train, this being before railroads had invaded 
that then wikl country, and one incident of his travels worthy of note is that 
when at Charleston, South Carolina, he went by ferry to Sullivan's Island 
and stood upon the gun which fired the first shot at Major Anderson's men 
in Fort Sumter. As he thus stood upon that gun in Fort Moultre, looking 
across the channel at the stars and stripes once again waving over Fort Sum- 
ter, his remarks were: "Oh if this island could have sunk before that shot 
was fired." Mr. Trueslow's fraternal connections are with the Knights of 
Pythias, his membership being in Justus PI. Rathbone Lodge, No. 400, of 
which he is a past chancellor, also past county deputy and a past district 
deputy, and he is also a member of the uniform and endowment ranks. His 
lodge now has a membership of three hundred and ninety. 

In December, 1890, Mr. Trueslow was married to Jessie D. Wentz, a 
daughter of Japob A. and Elizabeth Wentz. She was born in Blackford 
county, Indiana, in 1867, and came with her parents in 1874 to Findlay, 
Ohio, her father purchasing a farm four miles north of that city, where they 
resided for a number of years, finally moving to Findlay, making this their 
permanent home. Mr. and Mrs. Trueslow have two children, — Alice E.» 
born February 10, 1892; and Myron W., born November 13, 1893. 

JACOB GRESSLY. 

Hancock county has no more honored or highly esteemed citizen than 
the gentleman whose name introduces this review. He was born in Hock- 
ing county, Ohio, on the i8th of February, 1842, his parents being Henry 
and Annie (Whisler) Gressly. The former, who was born in Germany, in 
1809, was a son of Jacob Gressly, who emigrated from that country to 
America in 1829, being accompanied on the journey by his six children, — 
Barabara, Henry, Jacob, Catherine, Charles and Margaret. Jacob Gressly 
first took up his abode in Fairfield county, Ohio, but a short time afterward 
lemoved to Pickaway county, this state, where he spent the remainder of his 
life, his life's labors having been ended in death in 1857. His son Henry 
came to Hancock county in 1846, locating on a farm of one hundred and 
twenty-five acres in Union township, which he placed under an excellent 
state of cultivation, and to this tract he subsequently added one hundred and 
forty acres more, making it one of the valuable homesteads of Union town- 



296 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

ship. He was well versed in all the branches of agriculture, and his life was 
characterized by energy, perseverance and hard work, qualities which won 
for him a high and well merited degree of success. At one time he was the 
owner of over seven hundred acres of land, and was long recognized as one 
of the most progressive farmers of his community. He was united in mar- 
riage to Annie Whisler, who was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, in 1818, 
being a daughter of Michael Whisler. This union v^^as blessed with the fol- 
lowing children: Jacob, Rebecca, Sarah (deceased), Loretta J., Samuel and 
two who died in infancy. The living ones are all residents of Hancock 
county. Both Mr. and Mrs. Gressly were worthy members for many years 
of the Evangelical church. The father died in 1891 and the mother in 1882. 
Jacob Gressly, the immediate subject of this review, was early inured to 
the work of the farm, and when the time came for him to inaugurate inde- 
pendent action he chose the vocation of farming, which has been his life 
occupation. In 1871 he located on the farm on which he now resides, where 
he has erected a substantial and commodious residence, suitable barns and 
outbuildings, and has placed his fields under an excellent state of cultivation. 
He is one of the representative citizens of Hancock county, and has achieved 
a most worthy success. His public spirit is such that he always aids every 
movement which in his judgment promises good to the people at large, and 
for one year he efficiently served his township as its trustee. The marriage 
of Mr, Gressly was celebrated in 1865, when Miss Martha West became his 
wife. She was born in Hancock county, Ohio, in 1845, ^^^^ ^s a daughter of 
John and Catherine West. By her marriage she became the mother of the 
the following children: Theodocia (deceased), Ferdinand W., Ivy A., 
Pearl J. and Bessie E. Mrs. Gressly and her daughters are members of the 
Church of God, and the family are among the well known and highly re- 
spected residents of Hancock county. In politics Mr. Gressly is a Democrat. 
The improvements on the farm of Mr. Gressly are among the best m this 
party of Hancock county. 

JEFFERSON C. McRILL. 

Among the most promising and successful of the younger generation of 
Hancock county farmers is the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. Fie 
comes of a family which has been represented in the county for seventy years, 
whose members have always stood well and enjoyed high consideration among 
their neighbors. A brief review, given in chronological order, will show who 
they have been and something of what they have done to bring this county to 




^.J./M^^^^.t/^:^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 297 

the front. Elijah McRill, who was born January 18, 1789, married Rebecca 
England in early manhood and came with her to Hancock county in 1832. In 
the common parlance of that day, he '"entered" one hundred and sixty acres 
of land in Washington township, where he put up a round-log house in the 
pioneer style, to be replaced a few years later by a more pretentious structure 
built of hewed logs, which was then considered somewhat "stylish." Elijah 
was a hard-working man, of simple and unpretentious manners, who belonged 
to the Methodist Episcopal church and tried to do his duty in all the relations 
of life. In the course of time he sold his farm and led a retired life until the 
final summons came to him in 1879. O^ his nine children only two are now 
hving. B, J. McRill, the eldest of his surviving children, was born in Ashland 
county, Ohio, October 27, 1823, and was nine years of age when his parents 
came to Hancock county, where he has ever since made his home. At the age 
of nineteen he made his first purchase of real estate, consisting of forty acres, 
to which he kept adding until his present holdings embrace one hundred and 
fourteen acres of good land. He is one of the veteran educators of the county, 
having taught school for over forty-five years. In this way he contributed 
much toward the welfare of the county by that surest road to civilization 
which is found in the education of the people. During his long residence in 
the county of seventy years, which gives him right to the honored title of "one 
of the oldest settlers," Mr. McRill has enjoyed and fully deserved the confi- 
dence and esteem of his neighbors for two generations. At various times he 
has held the ofiice of justice of the peace, assessor and trustee of his township, 
the duties of all which positions were ever discharged with fidelity and in- 
tegrity. A faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he 
was class-leader for many years, he always aimed to practice what he preached, 
and the example he set before the rising generation was wholesome and 
Avorthy of imitation. His fraternal relations w^ere confined to membership in 
the old and useful order of Odd Eellows, of w^hich he has long been a shining- 
light and active member. Mr. McRill's first marriage was with Miss Fannie 
Carpenter, who bore him two children, but these, as well as their mother, have 
long since passed from earth. His second marriage was in 1850 with 
Rosanna Zimmerman, who was born in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, June 
5, 1 83 1. The children of this second marriage were Amanda J. ; J. C. ; Sarah 
A. C. ; A. A. ; R. W. ; Nelson A., deceased; and Elijah E. 

Jefferson C. Zimmerman, the second in order of birth of the above enum- 
erated children, was born in Marion township, Hancock county, Ohio, March 
3, 1858, and grew to manhood on his father's farm. After the usual prelimi- 
nary attendance at the district school he entered business for himself at a very 



29« CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

early age by the purchase of his present farm of seventy-two acres in Big Lick 
township; w^here he has since resided. He cultivated this place in the usual 
way, devoting it to general farming, until the year 1901, when he was lucky 
enough to "strike oil." The result of this happy discovery was seven pro- 
ducing oil wells, which are now in full operation and bringing a handsome 
revenue to their owner. Mr. McRill well deserves the success and good for- 
tune with which he has met, as he has been painstaking and industrious, at- 
tentive to his business and in every way a worthy citizen. The only office Mr. 
McRill has held was that of justice of the peace, of which he was the incum- 
bent from 1893 until 1899, and this important trust was discharged in an 
eminently satisfactory manner. 

April 6, t886, Mr. McRill was happily wedded to Miss Ella C, daughter 
of Solomon and Rebecca (Neff) Eberhart, born in Steuben county, Indiana, 
in 1863, who has proved a most affectionate wife and mother. Her father 
was a native of Michigan, a farmer by occupation, and died in the prime of 
life. The children consist of two daughters: Myrtle I., born July 7, 1887, 
and Hazel G., whose birth occurred September 11, 1889. Since 1888 the 
family have been members of the Christian Union church, in which Mr. Mc- 
Rill holds the position of trustee. 

WARNER COONTZ. 

One of the most substantial and prominent farmers of Hancock county, 
who is now living retired from activity, in Findlay, Ohio, is Warner Coontz, 
whose pleasant home is located at No. 901 Washington avenue, in this city. 

The birth of Mr. Coontz occurred April 2, 1826, in Jefferson county, 
Virginia, and he is a son of Jacob and Elizabeth Coontz, who came to Ohio 
when our subject was quite small. His parents located first in Fairfield 
county. Jacob Coontz was born in 1734 and died June 28, 1833, in Fairfield 
county. His wife was born in 1746 and survived until February 13, 1855. 
They had a family of seven children, the three survivors being: Warner, 
Sarah and Emanuel. ■ Jacob Coontz was a man of education and culture, 
learned both in the German and the English language, and was a consistent 
member of the Presbyterian church. 

In every way our subject is a self-made man, the death of his father 
when he was but seven 5^ears of age, leaving him practically without a pro- 
tector. However, the principles of right living had been instilled from earliest 
childhood, and the lessons learned then, and his inheritance of gentle blood 
from most estimable parents, have guided him safely through a long life. In 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 299 

1865 he came to Hancock county and purchased a farm of one hundred and 
twenty acres, to which he has at various times added until he now has four 
hundred and twenty acres, in three farms, one located in Liberty, one in 
Blanchard and the other in Marion townships, in addition to a valuable city 
property. 

February 20, 1854, our subject was married to Miss Mary Hott, who 
was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, September i, 1832, and died on Jan- 
uary 27, 1899. The children of this union were: John, born January 17, 
1855; Kate, June 26, 1856; Warner, Jr., born May 17, 1864, and now a resi- 
dent of Greeley, Colorado; and William, born August 25, 1866, who is a phy- 
sician of prominence, practicing in Cleveland, Ohio. 

Mr. Coontz is a member of the First Methodist church of Findlay and 
one of the liberal contributors to its support. In 1888 he gave up practical 
farming and since that time has been an esteemed resident of Findlay. He 
worked hard in his early days and is now in a condition to thoroughly enjoy 
the declining years which his friends hope will be many in number. 

THOMAS FLICK. 

As far back as 1833, John and Elizabeth (Fox) Flick left their native 
place in Fairfield county and took up their abode on a tract of land in Han- 
cock county, situated in Union township. This land, consisting of one hun- 
dred and twenty acres, was obtained from the government and at the time of 
the purchase was decidedly wild and sw^ampy. But pioneers were not to be 
discouraged by little things like this and the new arrivals set resolutely to 
work to see what kind of home they could extract from this " lodge in the 
wilderness." John Flick was really a great acquisition to the community at 
the time he arrived on the scene. Blacksmiths were always in demand in 
pioneer times and John was one of the best of his craft, strong, sturdy, in- 
dustrious and skillful. There was soon plenty of demand both for his time 
and talent to shoe horses, re-tire wagons, mend tools and do all the other odds 
and ends characteristic of a cross-roads smithy. Between jobs of this kind, 
John worked in clearing his rather unpromising farm and in course of time 
had his swamp fairly well drained, the underbrush grubbed out and the land 
fit for cultivation. By his combined pursuits of farming and blacksmithing, 
working all day and part of the nights, John Flick finally reached the time 
when he could take things easier, having a competence laid by for a rainy 
day. The truth is that he was a model man as well as a very deserving one, 
as all knew who pulled the latch string on the door of his humble cabin. He 



300 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

closed his busy and blameless career in 1868, when about sixty-five years old, 
and about thirteen years later his faithful wife Elizabeth joined him "on 
the other shore." Of the eight children borne to this worthy couple, five still 
live and all are residents of Hancock county but one, who lives in Indiana. 

Thomas Flick, the third surviving son of the pioneer blacksmith above 
described, w-as born in Fairfield county, Ohio, November i8, 1832, and was 
just a year old when introduced by his parents to the swamps of Hancock 
county. He grew up on the old homestead in Union township, attended the 
local schools and became acquainted with all those duties which fall to the 
lot of a boy on the farm. When he reached manhood, therefore, he was well 
qualified for the business which he entered upon forthwith and has continued 
in throughout the years of his adult life. He has had his ups and downs and 
changed homes a good many times before he found the place to suit him, but 
through it all made more or less gain and is justified now in regarding his 
life as a success in its entirety. His first purchase consisted of sixty acres, 
on which he resided three years. This was disposed of in 1856 and the pro- 
ceeds invested in a tract of eighty acres, on which he lived three years and 
sold to move upon another farm of similar size. He remained on this place 
twelve years and in 1881 bought the farm of eighty-eight acres in Union 
township W'hich constitutes his present homestead. 

Februar}^ 18, 1853, Mr. Flick was married to Sarah, daughter of Henry 
and Magaret Deeds. Mrs. Flick's parents were the first settlers of Union 
township, Hancock county, where she was born April 14, 1836. The chil- 
dren of Mr. and Mrs. Flick are William, Henry, Samantha, Ursula, Mi- 
nerva, Leander, Margaret S. and Eliza, deceased. The parents are members 
of the United Brethren church and no family in Union township are more 
highly esteemed than the Flicks. 

FRANCIS M. STORTS. 

There is no more beautiful custom in civilization than that manifested 
by thought for our dead. "See that my grave is kept green," is sometimes 
upon flippant lips with little meaning but underlying it runs a current deep 
and strong and lasting as the ages. Cremation is faultless in theory — reason 
compels us to its endorsement. But its slow growth in the public mind is 
evidence of the fact that custom's laws are not easily broken; centuries hence 
the green sward and flowers of Dame Nature will continue to minister in 
sweet fragrance to the spirits of our dead. 

Francis M. Storts is superintendent of the Fountain Cemetery, which 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 301 

is situated on a beautiful site of gentle sloping and well kept ground. He 
is a genius in his line. He does all his own planning as to landscape, raises all 
his plants and flowers, and so tasteful are the arrangements that the eye is 
captivated by the beautiful and picturesque scene. His plots are tastefully 
laid out, his grounds are clean and inviting, while his walks are models of 
perfection. 

Mr. Storts was born in Perry county, Ohio, April 5, 1864, and was the 
son of William and Lucinda (Alexander) Storts. He passed his boyhood 
days quietly in his parents' home, and in the common schools acquired his 
elementary education. His young manhood was spent in the construction of 
railroads and telegraph lines. Having a taste, however, for the esthetic in 
nature, he subsequently became engaged in agricultural pursuits which he 
followed for a few years. In the spring of 1892 he took upon himself his 
present responsible office, the duties of which he has discharged with great 
acceptance to his employers, and to the public at large. The Fountain Cem- 
etery was laid out in 1844, and now contains twenty-one and one-half acres, 
fifteen acres of which is already in use by the public. Mr. Storts is held in 
good favor in the community in which he resides, and he and his family 
are acceptable members of the Methodist Episcopal church, while he fratern- 
izes with the Maccabees organization. 

Mr. Storts was joined in marriage in 1887 to Miss Laura B. Levingston, 
and she has become the mother of six children, Lillie G., Cloe B., Verna B., 
Laura E., Edson F., and Hazel C. Mrs. Storts was born in Licking county, 
Ohio, in 1870, her family being among the pioneers of the Buckeye state. 

Mr. Storts is a courteous officer in his responsible position, well in- 
formed and intelligent on general matters, and is a popular and highly re- 
spected citizen of his city, and as such well deserves representation in this 
volume. 

WILLL\M BOLANDER. 

It is with pleasure that the subject of this sketch is introduced into this 
work as a true son of Hancock county. Mr. Bolander is a man who believes 
that his native heath is good enough for him, and that there is no need of 
seeking opportunities in distant lands when so many lie at hand. He w^as 
born on a farm in Big Lick township, this county, in 1844, when this section 
of Ohio was very sparsely settled. He passed his earlier years in the country, 
acquiring his education in the country schools, and assisting on his father's 
farm. When the war broke out Mr. Bolander waited his opportunity and 



302 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

when the call came for volunteers in Hancock county, immediately enlisted in 
Company A, Twenty-first Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He: served 
three years and saw his country vindicated before he was mustered out. 
Some of the conflicts in which his company was engaged was Stone River, 
and those occurring during the campaign from Dalton to Atlanta and from 
there to Jonesboro, where he was severely wounded in the left thigh. He 
was sent to Atlanta for care, and soon after that to Chattanooga, where he 
was mustered out, in 1865. He immediately returned to Hancock county, 
where he has since resided. 

In 1866 he was married to Sarah Crosley, and they have seven children. 
The same year he was married he moved to Findlay, the county seat. In 
1892 he went into the meat business, in which he has been very successful. 

Mr. Bolander is among the best known of the business men of the town 
and is a loyal citizen. He keeps his war service in mind and heart by mem- 
bership in Stoker Post, No. 54, G. A. R., which includes so many of Find- 
iay's prominent men. He has always been identified with the Republican 
party, in which his faith waxes stronger as the years go by. He is a member 
of the Evangelical church of Findlay. 

HENRY J. BLYMYER. 

During the first half of the nineteenth century there lived in Adams 
county, Pennsylvania, near the historic battlefield of Gettysburg, a worthy 
couple bearing the names of Joseph and Magdalene Blymyer. Joseph was 
a mechanic, and, finding business rather dull around his old home, decided to 
go further west in search of a betterment in his fortunes. Accordingly, in 
the year 1852, he packed up and with his wife and little ones joined the great 
tide of emigration then setting in toward Ohio. After reaching this state 
the family made their way to Hancock county, where the head of the house 
bought forty acres of land in Eagle township and settled temporarily on the 
same. Being a wagon-maker, however, and finding no opening for that 
business at his country home he soon went to Findlay and established him- 
self in trade at that advantageous point. He was a good workman as well 
as an exemplary citizen and prospered fairly well during his residence in 
Findlay, until he moved to a farm in Eagle township, where he died in 1894. 
By his good wife, Magdalene, who died in 1881, he had five children, and the 
three of these now surviving all live in Hancock county. 

Henry J. Blymyer, one of the children last mentioned, was born at the 
old Pennsylvania home near Gettysburg, in 1838, and was consequently only 



■ CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 303 

fourteen years old when his parents made their journey to Ohio over half a 
century ago. From his father, as he g'rew up, he learned the wagon-maker's 
trade, and when sufficiently proficient assisted in the shop with the more 
difficult parts of the work. Later on he set up for himself in the business 
of making wagons, and prosecuted the trade diligently until 1881. At that 
time he saw an opportunity to make a good investment at Rawson, and 
closed a deal with George Burket for his mill in that town. Immediately 
thereafter Mr. Blymyer gave up his residence in Eagle township, as well as 
his wagon business, and assumed charge with his usual energy of his recent 
purchase at Rawson. The mill was constructed in 1852, and had been run- 
ning most of the time for nearly thirty years, but was greatly improved and 
its facilities increased after Mr. Blymyer came into possession. He does 
sawing, planing, lathing and other kinds of work appropriate to his calling, 
his power consisting of a sixty horse-power engine, and his mill capacity 
being ten thousand feet of surface lumber per day. Besides his mill business, 
which is valuable, Mr. Blymyer owns other towai property, and altogether 
may be regarded as in comfortable financial circumstances. 

In 1864 Mr. Blymyer was united in marriage with Nancy Hoppis, and 
of their six children the four survivors are George, William, Nancy M. 
and Catherine. In 1892 Mr. Blymyer took his sons, George and William, 
into partnership, and the business is now carried on under the firm name of 
Blj-myer & Sons. It is needless to say that the thriving business done by this 
enterprising firm is an important feature of the village where the plant is 
located. The busy hum of the saw, the puffs of the laboring locomotive, the 
shouting of the teamsters and the clash of the revolving machinery keep the 
people from forgetting that something is going on at Rawson. 

JAMES C. DONNELL. 

The gentleman whose name is mentioned above is one of the successful 
and prosperous business men of Findlay, Ohio. As he looks back over a long 
life of business activity he can attribute much of his success to the fact that 
he believed in the old saw, "stick to your last." For years he has been en- 
gaged in the oil business, having at the age of twenty begun operations in 
that line. He is at the present time vice president and general manager of 
the large corporation known as the Ohio Oil Company, w-ith headquarters at 
Findlay. His wife and son are prominent members and most active workers 
in the First Presbyterian church of Findlay, and Mr. Donnell was a mem- 
ber of the building committee which has just finished the present commodious 



304 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

iuid elegant structure, which cost sixty-three thousand dollars. ]\Ir. Donnell 
was born in the village of Waterford, Erie county, Pennsylvania, on the 20th 
day of April, 1864. In this village he passed the period of youth, receiving 
such education as was then given in the local school. All his life he had heard 
the subject of oil discussed, not only about his own fireside, but on the streets 
of the village where he was reared, for it was in the center of the oil country. 
And while he was cognizant of the fact that a large number of operators in 
that industry had failed to make a success, he felt that in him the desire to 
try his own hand at it w^as present. He therefore at the age of twenty went to 
Titusville, Pennsylvania, and began operations. Here he w^orked with varied 
success, and although not making a vast amount of money he accumulated a 
most desirable business experience in that line which served him very well in 
later years. In 1887 he came to the new oil fields at Lima, Ohio, and the 
following year located in Findlay, where he has since resided and been en- 
gaged in business. In addition to his connection with the oil industry he is 
also a director of the commercial banking company of Bowling Green, Ohio, 
one of the strong financial institutions of the state. In 1887 he was instru- 
mental in the organization of the present Ohio Oil Company, and later he 
with other strong men bought up the stock, and he is now ni practical con- 
trol of the corporation. He was first made a director of the company, but his 
business capacity was demonstrated to such an extent that in 1901 he was 
selected as the vice president and general manager. Mr. Donnell is a Re- 
publican in politics, although he gives very little attention to matters politi- 
cal. Fraternally he is a member of the Elks. The beautiful home of Mr. 
Donnell is presided over by a lady whose maiden name was Lizzie Weston 
Meeks, the daughter of the late Rev. J. A. Meeks, their marriage occurring 
in 1890 in the city of Findlay. Mr. Donnell had previous to this been joined 
in marriage to Sarah Flinn, who died in 1886, leaving one son. Otto Dewey 
Donnell. The father of Mrs. Donnell, the Rev. J. A. Meeks, was for a long 
time a most faithful and efficient pastor of the First Presbyterian church 
of Findlay. He died in July, 1887, and in memory of the beautiful life which 
he lived before his people, Mr. Donnell has had erected in the new church 
v/hich has just been built, a most beautiful memorial window. 

The Donnells are of Scotch origin, Mr. James Donnell, the father of our 
present subject, having been born in Scotland in the year 1813. He grew to 
manhood in the old country, where he also married, his wife's name having 
been Elizabeth Boyd, of Irish descent, and born in 18 14. They came to 
America in 1853, ^"d located in Waterford, Pennsylvania, where Mr. Don- 
nell died in 1872. Mrs. Donnell still lives in the village of W^aterford. These 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 305 

parents raised a family of six children, of whom two sons did valiant service 
their country in the late Civil w^ar. One of these, Robert Donnell, received 
wounds in the battle of Antietam which, together with other complications, 
were finally responsible for his death, which occurred in 1867, at the age of 
twenty-six years. He was a non-commissioned officei- in the fifty-first Penn- 
sylvania Regiment, and served in that regiment during the entire period of 
the war, William Donnell, another brother, was also in the service, being a 
member of a Pennsylvania regiment. He now resides in Erie county, Penn- 
sylvania. 

Upon the site of the old Presbyterian church at the corner of Main and 
Hardin streets has been erected a business block fifty by one hundred and 
twenty feet and three stories high. It was upon this ground that Rev. John 
A. Meeks, the father of Mrs. Donnell, helped to build the church in which he 
preached for many years. 

SALAMIS BOWLBY. 

A great many elements enter into the success of a man, no matter what 
occupation he follows, and in giving the history of the life of the subject of 
this sketch we must consider as important factors of his prosperity as a farmer 
his geniality, his large heartedness and also his natural aptitude for various 
mechanical arts which materially assist the farmer. No man in Amanda 
township is better known than Salamis Bowlby and it is eminently proper that 
his biograph}^ should be found in this historical volume. 

His parents were John and Susan (Stahl) Bowlby, the former born in 
Pennsylvania and the latter in Wayne county, Ohio, John was a shoemaker 
by trade. He took up his residence in Findlay, Hancock county, in 1847, 
and remained there until 1856, in which year he moved to Carey, Wyandot 
county. Two years later he passed from the scene of life's activities and his 
wife followed him in 1865. Seven children were born to this worthy couple 
and all are now living, Salamis and his sister, Mrs. Rheinhart, being the only 
ones in this county. 

The birth of Salamis Bowlby occurred in Stark county, Ohio, August 
2-^, 1844, and he grew to manhood partly in Findlay and partly in Carey. 
While still a boy in years, though with the courage and spirit of a man, the 
Civil war broke out and in the first year he enlisted, being enrolled in Com- 
pany A, Forty-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for a term of three years; 
and at the expiration of this period he re-enlisted in the same company and 
regiment, to serve to the end of the war. He was promoted to the rank of 



3o6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

corporal and in 1865 was honorably discharged at Columbus, Ohio. He 
participated in the battles of Shiloh, Stone river, Chickamauga, Mission 
Kidge, the Atlanta campaign, Nashville, Tennessee, and New Hope church. 
At the battle of Stone river, December 31, 1862, he was severely wounded 
and captured, being later taken to Richmond and held in prison for sixty-nine 
days. He was again wounded at the battle of Nashville. With the end of 
the strife he returned gladly to the peaceful pursuits of civil life and began 
tanning on his own account by purchasing in 1866 forty acres of land in Big- 
lick township. This farm he exchanged in 1869 for another in the same 
township, and this latter he also sold and in 1873 bought his present place. 
He began with forty acres but has added to it until he now possesses a fertile 
and well tilled farm of sixty-five acres, and this he devotes to that most 
profitable branch of agriculture, "trucking." He has erected all the buildings 
on the place, including a fine brick house with suitable outbuildings. He car- 
ries on his operations on an extensive scale and is able to supply the towns 
of Findlay, Carey and Fostoria with the best of farm and garden produce. 
And his ingenuity in mechanical matters enables him to perfect many de- 
vices aiding in his W'Ork and to repair all his tools himself. 

In the fall of 1865 Mr. Bowlby was married to Miss Sophia Thompson, 
the daughter of William and Mary Thompson. Two daughters were born 
of this marriage, but they are now deceased and Mrs. Bowlby died in 1882. 
In 1883 he married Miss Lucretia Southerland, daughter of William and 
Susan Southerland; no children were born. Mr. Bowlby is not only a practi- 
cal farmer but a practical man in the true sense of the word, and he has used 
his influence for the good of his community. He has been a member of the 
school board and through his efforts the beautiful schoolhouse has assumed 
its present appearance. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows, being a trustee and past grand of the order. He is a member of the 
Methodist church and in state and national affairs uncompromisingly Repub- 
lican, but rather independent in local elections. 

JOHN W. JACOBS. 

Among the many handsome, highly improved and well cultivated farms 
which one sees in passing through Big Lick township, none are more worthy 
of notice than that owned by the subject of this sketch. It is not the largest by 
any means, consisting of only sixty acres, but in fanning, as in other affairs 
of life, it is not always the biggest things that are most worthy of notice. 
"A little farm well tilled" has always been so popular that it led to a pretty 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 307 

poem and a lovely song composed thereon in its honor. Such a farm is that 
of John W. Jacobs, and, it may be added in passing, its attractiveness is not 
diminished, at least from a materialistic point of view, by the fact that here 
and there ma}' be observed spouting oil wells, to the number of eight, whose 
constant flow give sure promise of rich revenue to the fortunate owner. In 
fact, these wells give an income to our subject of an average of two hundred 
dollars per month, and he has received as high as thirteen hundred dollars per 
month. Still there are a number of especially promising locations on his 
farm for other wells, the two hundred dollars per month income being what is 
expected to be now continuous. Mr. Jacobs came to Hancock county when 
a baby and has been identified with its development for over half a century. 
His parents, Levi and Elizabeth (Bear) Jacobs, the former a Virginian and 
the latter of Perry county, Ohio, where his marriage occurred, removed from 
there to Hancock county in 1848. The father purchased one hundred and 
sixty acres of land, which was still in its primeval condition, untouched by the 
plow, and this he proceeded by the usual pioneer methods to "whip into shape.'" 
Hastily erecting a rude log cabin, for temporary residence, he began the ap- 
parently endless task of grubbing, digging and clearing which were the inevi- 
table forerunners of that smiling beauty which now characterizes most Ohio 
farms, but which it cost many a weary blow to bring about. But nothing 
could resist the dogged perseverance and unflagging industry of the typical 
pioneer, and Levi Jacobs in time not only made his first purchase "blossom as 
the rose" but he was able to add to it one hundred and sixty acres more, which 
he also partly cleared. This land was situated in Big Lick township, and, with 
the progress of events and growth and development of the state, gradually 
emerged from the era when it was worth only a nominal price to the present 
day when it is assessed high up in the double column of figures. Levi Jacol)s 
was a carpenter by trade and worked at this useful calling until middle life, 
after which he devoted his time entirely to his landed estate. He was a mem- 
ber of the Christian L^nion church, of moral and upright life and universally 
regarded as a good and righteous man. He passed away in 1884, when sixty- 
eight years old, at peace with all mankind, and the partner of his joys and 
sorrows, who passed away three years before, died in her fifty-ninth year. Of 
their eight children, those who grew to maturity and are still living are 
Alexander M., John W., Marion and Ellen. John W. Jacobs, second in age 
of the surviving children, was born in Perry county, Ohio, July 29, 1847, ^^^^^ 
as previously stated was an infant in arms when brought to this county by 
bis parents. He grew up and was educated in Big Lick township, where he 
has ever since resided, thoroughly and energetically connected with the agri- 



308 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

cultural development of his community. His only occupation has been that 
of farming, all the practical details of which he has mastered and understands 
as well as any one in the business. The farm he now owns was purchased 
about ]882, since which time Mr, Jacobs has erected necessary buildings and 
greatly improved, while adding to the value of his property. October ii, 
1S59, he was united in marriage with Sarah E. Jones, who was born in Mary- 
land, April I, 1848, the daughter of Stephen T. and Mary E. Jones. This 
union resulted in the birth of six children, the five still living being : Harvey C. 
born in 1872; Willous J., born in 1874; Amanda O., born in 1877; Laura A., 
in .1878; and Nellie M., in 1884. The mother, who, as also her husband, was 
a consistent member of the United Brethren church, ended her blameless 
Christian life April 5, 1895. Mr, Jacobs inherits many of those excellent 
and strong traits of character which made his lamented father so popular, and 
these qualities have been effective in commending him to his acquaintances 
and securing for him general good will and esteem. 



URIAH B. MOYER. 

Uriah B, Moyer is one of Union township's substantial and enterprising 
farmers. He owns and operates sixty-one acres of valuable land and besides 
raising general crops he is a breeder of high grade registered live stock, his 
favorite breeds being Devonshire cattle and Poland China hogs ; he is also an 
enthusiastic poultry man, making a specialty of White Wyandots. 

The parents of this interesting gentleman were Edmond R, and Lucy A. 
(Greenawalt) Moyer, both natives of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, the for- 
mer being born January i, 1821, and the latter July 21, 1826, Edmond was a 
shoemaker by trade and followed that ocupation during his residence in the 
state. It was in the spring of 1866 that he, with his family of ten children, 
located on the farm north of Mount Cory now owned by C. H. Smith. 
There were eighty acres of land in the place, much of it improved, but it was 
further developed by the mechanical hand of Mr. Moyer. After living on 
this farm for four years he sold out and bought another of one hundred and 
sixty acres, where he resided up to the time of his death, which occurred in 
August, 1884. His wife survived until 1891 and came to her death by a very 
sad accident; while she was boiling a kettle of soap her clothing caught fire 
and before she could be rescued she was burned so badly that she soon died; 
she endured terrible suffering but her end was very peaceful. She and her 
husband were members of the German Reformed church. They had four- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 309 

teen children, and nine of these are now hving in this county engaged in 
various pursuits. 

The birth of Uriah B. Aloyer occurred in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, 
December 16, 1852. He was twelve years old when his parents removed 
to Ohio, and although his education had been begun in his native state, he 
received most of his stimulating influences in this county. He decided when 
yet a boy to devote himself to agricultural pursuits and he purchased his 
present farm in August, 1884. He has ever kept abreast of the times and 
has improved his farm so that it does not seem the same place it did when he 
took charge of it. 

Mr. Moyer was married September 24, 1876, to Miss Alice L. Watkins, 
the daughter of Isaac and Esther Watkins, and born in Union township, Feb- 
ruary 29, 1856. Their three children are, Milton E., who married Olive M. 
Hubler; Clyde L. and Floyd J. Mr. and Mrs. Moyer are members of the 
Methodist church, in which he is a trustee and held the ofitice of steward for 
four years. 

FREDERICK BROWNELLER. 

Among the successful and representative farmers of Hancock county, 
whose industry and sagacity have triumphed over all difficulties and enabled 
him to reach the evening of life in prosperous circumstances, none stand out 
more conspicuous than the subject of this sketch. He comes of the best and 
sturdiest of the older population of the east, his parents, Samuel and Sarah 
(Slaughterback) Browneller, being natives of Pennsylvania of Dutch de- 
scent. They moved to Fayette county in the Keystone state in 181 2, where 
the father owned and operated one hundred and eighty acres of coal land. Of 
his family of eight children, seven are living and two are residents of Han- 
cock county, Ohio. Samuel Browneller was an experienced farmer, a man 
of excellent sense and judgment in business affairs and a good citizen in every 
sense of that word. Born in 1810, he lived a life of usefulness until his death, 
which occurred in 1894. His wife, who was a noble woman of many ex- 
cellent traits of character and much beloved by all who knew her, was born 
in the same year as her husband and departed this life one year earlier, or 
in 1893. No children ever had more affectionate parents than those of this 
worthy couple and to the early lessons of sobriety, morality and thrift in- 
stilled by their father and mother, the surviving offspring attribute much of 
the success they have achieved in life. Frederick Browneller, one of their 
sons, was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, July 28, 1835, and remained 



3IO CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

in his native state until 1870. During the formative period of his hfe he ac- 
quired a thorough knowledge of all kinds of farm work under his father's 
skillful tutelage and this training he put to most excellent use in after years. 
March 24, 1870, he purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land in 
Liberty township, Hancock county, Ohio, to which he soon added forty more, 
besides a farm of one hundred and fifty acres in Wood county. From the 
time of his arrival in Ohio until 1887, Mr. Browneller made his home in 
Liberty township, but in the year last mentioned he removed to Findlay. At 
the present time he owns one hundred and eighty-two acres of good land, 
besides his comfortable residence property in Findlay, where he is leading a 
life of retirement in the enjoyment of the comforts acquired by a life of in- 
dustry and good management. He is much esteemed as a neighbor, citizen and 
friend and is a fine type of the class of men to whom the west is indebted for 
its wonderful growth and prosperity. June 4, 1857, Mr. Browneller was 
married to Miss Margaret, daughter of Joseph and Margaret Springer. This 
union, v^'hich was one of unalloyed happiness and ideal in all respects, resulted 
in the birth of the following named children : Mary, William L., James P., 
Sarah J., Ann E., David P., Joseph (deceased), Martha C. and Flora A. 
Mrs. Browneller was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, September 22, 
1834, and as mother and wife has enjoyed the esteem of all having the pleas- 
ure of her acquaintance. She and her husband have long been working mem- 
bers of the United Brethren church and contribute their full share to every 
movement which promises to advance the cause of morality and correct liv- 
ing. Mr. Browneller's whole life has been one of hard w^ork and close at- 
tention to business, and the success which has come to him has been well 
earned. David P. Browneller, third son of this worthy family, is one of the 
prosperous young farmers of Liberty township, and in every way a worthy 
son of a worthy sire. In 1899 he purchased a farm of eighty acres, to which 
was added twenty-three more in 1902, and on this land Mr. Browneller is at 
present residing. His birth occurred in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, De- 
cember 7, 1863, and he was consequently seven years of age when his father 
removed to Ohio. He received his education in the schools of Hancock coun- 
ty, grew up to habits of industry and has steadily made headway in the acqui- 
sition of property since he began business for himself. November 10, 1887, 
occurred the marriage of David P. Brow-neller and Miss Amelia, daughter 
of William H. and Elizabeth Harpst and the children resulting from this 
union were Floyd and Cloyd (twins), born October 7, 1S89, but now de- 
ceased, and Nellie, born January 11, 1891. Mrs. Browneller is a native of 
Hancock county, Ohio, the date of her birth being May 17, 1867, and her 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY in 

family connections are among the best the county affords. David P. Brown- 
eller is a practical farmer, cultivates his land by up-to-date methods and ex- 
hibits all those qualities which in the end bring success to their possessor. 

WALLACE DORSEY. 

Not only as a successful farmer but as a contractor and builder of more 
than usual skill and resourcefulness is the subject of this sketch known to the 
people of Hancock county. He comes of pioneer stock and the family have 
been connected with the county's growth and progress for nearly three quar- 
ters of a century. William Dorsey, who was born in Pennsylvania May 14, 
1804, came to Ohio in youth and after his location in Hancock county met 
Louisa Bryan, whose birth occurred in Kentucky, December 15, 181 1, and 
whose father served in the war of 181 2. He was married to this lady in 
April, 1835, ^i''<i established a home on one hundred and sixty acres of land, 
situated partly in each of the townships of Allen and Cass. This tract was 
"entered" or purchased from the government in a wild state, but the new 
owner speedily developed and improved the same until it became a fine farm. 
William Dorsey rose to prominence and influence in his community, and held 
some offices of importance in the township. He affiliated with the Demo- 
cratic party, served as assessor and treasurer and was regarded as a man of 
good business qualifications. His wife bore him eight children, all of whom 
are living, the eldest being about sixty-six and the youngest forty-eight years 
old. Their names are Wallace, Elizabeth, William C, Amanda J., Cordelia, 
Edson, Winfield A., and Milton. The father died September 3, 1886, but 
liis wife survived him ten years, not passing to her final rest until 1896. 
Wallace Dorsey. the eldest of the children and the subject of this sketch, was 
born July 5,- 1836, in that part of Hancock county, Ohio, now known as 
Allen township. After the usual educational routine, he served an appren- 
ticeship at the carpenter's trade, which he subsequently followed as a busi- 
ness for twenty years. During that time he did much work as a contractor 
and builder and the result of his handicraft is now seen in many substantial 
buildings in various parts of the county, which fully attest the workman's 
skill. Li the year 1863, Mr. Dorsey made his first investment by the purchase 
of twenty acres of land, which has been added to from time to time until his 
holdings amount to one hundred and sixty acres of valuable real estate. 
In time Mr. Dorsey found it necessary to abandon his trade and apply himself 
more closely to the cultivation of his farm. In 1877 he entered into a new 
industry, manufacturing drain tile, and this has increased to large proportions 



312 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

in recent years. He supplies an extensive trade with tile of various sizes and 
quality, and the business has proved quite lucrative to the proprietor, as well 
as an accommodation to the large class in need of this indispensable aid to 
drainage. 

February 28, 1861, Mr. Dorsey was united in marriage with Miss Lois, 
daughter of Jonathan and Mary Nelson, who became the mother of the fol- 
lowing named children: Luella, born January 7, 1862; Charles W., born 
July 26, 1863, now deceased; William W., February 21, 1866; Albert E., 
January 17, 1867; E. N., January 25, 1872; L. W., December 18, 1873; 
Mary B., May 8, 1876; Homer O., January 2^, 1879; Milton L., June 20, 
1881. The mother of these children was born in eastern Ohio in January, 
1839, and died September 13, 1897. January 28, 1902, Mr. Dorsey took a 
second wdfe in the person of Mrs. F. E. Bennett, a native of the state of 
New York and a lady much esteemed for her excellent judgment and kindly 
disposition. Wallace Dorsey is well known throughout Hancock county and 
it is not too much to say that his friends are as extensive as his acquaintance- 
ship, as he is universally esteemed. Besides being a good business man, full 
of enterprise and energy, he is of a genial disposition and easy address. The 
people elected him for the position of township trustee and he discharged the 
duties of the office with much integrity and wisdom as to obtain universal 
commendation. In politics he is a Democrat. Mrs. Dorsey is a member ot 
the Methodist Episcopal church, which he also attends. 

ALVIN L. AND ROBERT B. WORDEN. 

The family of Worden is one of the oldest and best known in Hancock 
county. They have been identified with the county's growth and progress for 
three-quarters of a century, and during that period no name was more hon- 
ored than that of Worden. The founder of the family came as an orphan boy 
to Hancock county in 1827 when only eight years old. Alvin C. Worden was 
born in New York state January 4, 1819, and had the misfortune to lose his 
father when only one year old. His grandfather, Norman Chamberlain, took 
charge of the little waif, and when he decided to locate in Hancock county, 
C)hio, brought the child with him and tenderly cared for him until he reached 
manhood. When he arrived at maturity, Mr. Chamberlain gave his grandson 
one hundred acres of land on condition that he should maintain and care for 
the former during the remainder of his life. This stipulation was dutifully 
and affectionately complied with by Alvin C. Worden and the land thus ac- 
quired constituted the basis of his business success. In 1840 he was married 



w 




ALYIH C. WORDEN. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 313 

to Rachel Hall, born in Harrison county, Ohio, in 1821. They established 
their home on the banks of Blanchard river in Liberty township, where they 
lived over half a century in ties of affection which were increased rather than 
diminished by advancing years. The original gift of his grandfather was 
increased by thrift and good management until Mr. Worden finally owned 
three hundred and fifty-five acres of land, which he improved until it became 
highly cultivated and of great value. He was progressive -and resourceful 
in his farm methods, kept fully abreast of all modern improvements and 
achieved rank as one of the foremost agriculturists of Hancock county. His 
political affiliations v/ere with the Republican party and his loyalty and pa- 
triotism were unquestioned. He lent his aid to the cause of morality and good 
citizenship and set a good example as a conscientious and devoted member of 
the Presbyterian church. Alvin C. Worden, after a long and useful life, 
passed away in 1891, and within ten months was followed by his good wife, 
who closed her earthly career in 1892. Though this pioneer couple became 
the parents of sixteen children, only five of these grew to maturity. Of those 
now living, Robert B. was born in July, 1849; Alvin L., December 23, 1856; 
and Sylvia S., March 21, 1855. Sallie A., the youngest, is now the wife of 
M. Moore. Robert B. and Sylvia S., who are unmarried, reside on the old 
homestead, which is now the property of the former. In 1882 Alvin L. 
Worden was united in marriage to Miss Sophia W., daughter of Isaac and 
Mary Teatsworth, and Claud L., the only child of this union, was born Oc- 
tober 21, 1883. It was in 1881 that Alvin L. Worden made his first purchase 
of land, the tract consisting of forty acres, but this was increased at different 
times until Mr. Worden's real estate holdings amount to three hundred acres. 
On this land and what he owns in conjunction with his brother, Robert B., 
there are sixty-six oil wells, of which thirty-six are owned jointly by the two 
brothers. For six years Alvin L. Worden has held the office of township 
trustee, and he has been a member of the school board for twelve years. The 
Worden brothers are much esteemed both in public and private and fulfill 
every requirement of good citizenship in all the w^alks of life. In politics 
R. B. Worden is a Republican, as is also his brother, Alvin L., who takes an 
active part in the campaigns, both local and general. 

WALTER H. KINDER. 

The above named gentleman, who is the junior member of the firm of 
Ross & Kinder, of Findlay, comes of one of the pioneer families of Ohio. He 
is a lawyer of fine ability, and a citizen whom any community might well be 



314 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

proud to own. Born in Hamilton, Ohio, on October 12, 1856, he was there 
reared and educated, graduating from the high school of that city in 1874. For 
a year he taught school in Putnam county, Ohio, and then entered the famous 
book store in Cincinnati, Ohio, of Robert Clark & Company, where he clerked 
about a year. In 1875 he commenced the study of his profession with ex- 
Governor James E. Campbell, and on the 31st of March, 1879, was admitted 
to the bar at Hamilton, Ohio. He began practice in the town of Ottawa, 
Ohio, where he remained until 1887, when he located in Findlay, 
and has since engaged in the practice of his profession at that point. 
There was, however, a period of three years, from 1890 to 1893, when he was 
engaged in the service of the state, Governor Campbell, his old law^ preceptor, 
having appointed him state superintendent of insurance. When he returned 
to Findlay, after laying down the duties of the office of insurance commis- 
sioner, he formed the present partnership with George W. Ross. May 29, 
1902, at Tiffin, Ohio, Mr. Kinder was nominated on the Democratic ticket for 
judge of the court of common pleas for the first subdivision of the Tenth 
judicial district, wdiich subdivision is comprised of the counties of Hancock, 
Seneca, Hardin and Wood. The domestic life of Mr. Kinder dates from the 
26th of August, 1886, when he was joined in marriage at Ottawa, Ohio, with 
Helen F., who is the daughter of Dr. Charles E. Tupper (deceased). Four 
children have been born to the marriage: Tupper, Margaret V., William 
Randall and Charles Edward. As before mentioned, the family of which 
Mr. Kinder is an honored member is one of the pioneer families of the state. 
His father, William Ross Kinder, was born in Franklin, Ohio, in December, 
1826, and died in Hamilton, Ohio, in i860. He was a lawyer by profession, 
having studied law under ex-Governor John B. Weller, who was an ex- 
governor and ex-United States senator from California, and had lived in 
Hamilton, Ohio. He was appointed a member of a commission to ascertain 
the boundary between California and Mexico, and in the pursuit of this 
object, he appointed our subject's father his private secretary. After the 
work had been completed, William R. Kinder went with Mr. Weller to San 
Francisco, and there they formed a partnership in the practice of law, but 
two years later, in 1852, Mr. Kinder returned to Hamilton, Ohio. Here he 
bought the "Hamilton Telegraph," a weekly paper, which he conducted until 
1858. In that year he was elected probate judge of that county, Butler, and 
it was while serving in this office that his death occurred on the loth of 
February, i860. He married in 1852, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Agnes, the daugh- 
ter of Jacob and Maria (L'Hommedieu) Long, and to this marriage were 
born children as follows: William R., now deceased, who was at the time of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 315 

his death states attorney of Waseca county, Minnesota; Charles L. H. Kin- 
der, who died in infancy; Walter H. Kinder, the subject of this sketch; 
Stephen L. H. Kinder, living at Toledo, Ohio. The grandfather of our sub- 
ject, George Kinder, born in Warren county, Ohio, in 1800, and died in 1863. 
For many years he was a farmer, and owned and operated a line of boats 
on the Miami and Erie Canal. The great-grandfather, Abram Kinder, was 
a native of Berks county, Pennsylvania, where he was born, but in later life 
emigrated to Warren county, Ohio. In 1800 he entered the original Kinder 
farm, and continued to operate it until his death. Passing now back to the 
great-great-grandfather of our present subject, we find that his name was 
George, but that no further information is given concerning him. His father 
was Philip Kinder, born in Holland, a son of Valentine Kinder, who emi- 
grated from Holland, and in 1756 came to Berks county, Pennsylvania. 
Philip Kinder was a soldier in the Revolutionar}^ war. 

WILLIAM E. STEPHENSON. 

The subject of this sketch, whose name is above given, has been pro- 
minently connected with two of the most important industries of Hancock 
county, those of glass-making and the production of oil. They are both 
modern, having grown up since the war, and their operation has contributed 
greatly to the development and building up of the sections where they were 
located, at the same time employing many thousands of laborers besides 
furnishing abundant opportunities for fortune making to bold and enterpris- 
ing spirits. Mr. Stephenson has at different times been connected with both 
these notable industries of the gas and oil belt, and few men are better in- 
formed on all matters connected therewith. He is descended from John 
Stephenson, a Pennsylvania man who settled in Knox county, Ohio, in the 
early part of the nineteenth century, and died there in 1850. His son, Will- 
iam Stephenson, was bom at Martinburg, Ohio, in 1823, removed to Han- 
cock county in 1854, where he farmed until 1887 and died in 1898. He 
married Mary Anderson, who deserves special mention on account of her 
distinguished and patriotic ancestry. Her great-grandfather, Patrick Ander- 
son, was a captain in a regiment of Pennsylvania infantry during the Revolu- 
tionary war, and after independence was achieved assisted in organizing the 
famous order of Cincinnati, of which he was a charter member. His son, 
James Anderson, was also a Revolutionary soldier, being a lieutenant in Colo- 
nel Stephen Meylan's Fourth Regiment, Pennsylvania Light Dragoons. The 
latter's son, William Anderson, became the father of Mrs. Stephenson, and 



3i6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

grandfather of the subject of this sketch. Wilham and Mary (Anderson) 
Stephenson became the parents of six children, of whom Ada M. died when 
she was fifteen years of age. The five survivors are : Viola, wife of Frank 
Bigelow; Laura S., wife of Samuel B. Sneath; Marian, unmarried; Anderson 
L., and William E. Stephenson. The latter, who is the youngest of the fam- 
ily, was born in Findlay township, Hancock county, Ohio, in 1862, was 
reared on the farm and received his education in the township and Findlay 
schools. He dropped his books at the age of seventeen and returned to the 
farm, where he continued to work for seven years, and then decided on a 
new line of business. In 1887, in connection with others, he helped to or- 
ganize the Mabel Flint Glass Company, which put up a factory near Findlay, 
and for the four following years Mr. Stephenson filled the place of shipping- 
clerk for the new concern. At the end of that time there was such a diminu- 
tion in the gas supply that it was decided to remove the plant to Albany, 
Indiana, after which Mr. Stephenson spent a year on the road as traveling- 
salesman for the company, subsequently taking charge of the sorting and 
packing department of the factory. After holding this position for one year, 
he retired and entered the business of producing oil, which has since been his 
occupation up to the present time. 

June I, 1887, Mr. Stephenson was united in marriage with Miss Jennie, 
daughter of Jacob B. Wagner, a member of a well known family of Findlay. 
In his political affiliations Mr. Stephenson is a Democrat, but he belongs to 
no church nor any secret society. 

WILLIAM MILLER TAIT. 

The above name is one that has long been familiar in the famous oil 
regions of Pennsylvania and later in connection with that industry in West 
Virginia, Indiana and various parts of Ohio. In fact, Mr. Tait has spent 
the entire period of his active life as a producer of this wealth-giving product 
to the new world. William Miller Tait w-as born on a farm in Mercer county, 
Pennsylvania, February 10, 1859, and received his education in the common 
schools and at Grove City College, in his native county. In 1880 he left 
home and proceeded directly to the oil country of McKean county, Pennsyl- 
vania, where he worked three years as an employe of his uncle, J. S. Patter- 
son, of Jamestown, New York, and at the end of that time was taken into 
partnership by Mr. Patterson, which was the real beginning of his business 
career. The firm of Patterson & Tait operated for ten years as oil producers 
in Allegany county. New York, at the end of which time they acquired inter- 




pm^i^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 317 

ests in Hancock county, Ohio. About 1889 Mr. Patterson had formed a 
partnership with Charles Wade, of P^indlay, Ohio, and they had oil interests 
in the territory near the last mentioned place,, which were managed by Mr. 
Wade. The latter, however, died in 1892, and shortly thereafter Mr. Tait 
came to Findlay, purchased Mr. Wade's interest and continued the business 
in partnership with Mr. Patterson until the latter's death in 1899. ^V. C. 
Patterson, of Jamestown, New York, who up to this time had been a silent 
partner, joined with Mr. Tait in forming the firm of Tait & Patterson, under 
which title the business at Findlay has since been carried on. Besides the 
property heretofore mentioned Mr. Tait is interested in oil wells in West 
Virginia and in Wood and Sandusky counties, Ohio. 

In 1884 Mr. Tait was married to Miss Laura Z., daughter of Robert M. 
and Martha Harkness, of Fairview, Mercer county, Pennsylvania, and they 
now reside in one of the most pleasant and hospitable homes in the city of 
Findlay. Mr. Tait is a very enthusiastic member of the Masonic fraternity, 
but has no connection with any other secret society. In politics he is a lead- 
ing Republican, and is always found doing his full share in promoting the 
interests and principles of that party. As an evidence of the appreciation 
accorded Mr. Tait, it may be stated that he was selected as a member of the 
building committee entrusted with the task of erecting the new First Pres- 
byterian church in Findlay, and this confidence was amply proven by the 
fact that this building has recently been completed at a cost of sixty-two 
thousand dollars and turned over for dedication entirely free from debt. 

JAMES R. CLARK. 

A great many Pennsyh-anians have made their homes in Findlay, and 
among the number who claim the Keystone state as a birth place is JMr. 
James R. Clark, who has for so many years conducted an undertaking estab- 
lishment in Findlay. 

Mr. Clark is of Irish parentage, his father, Forbes Clark, having been 
born in Ireland in 1758. He came to America in early life and settled in 
Pennsylvania, where he died in 1832, when the subject of this sketch was 
eight years old. He was a coppersmith by trade. 

Our subject was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, July 24, 1824, and 
after his father's death was reared by an aunt in Cumberland county of that 
state. His earjy life was spent on a farm, and his education was in the coun- 
try schools. At the age of eighteen he desired to learn a trade and went to 
Gettysburg, where he learned cabinet making. He remained there for three 



3155 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

years, perfecting his trade and from there went to Philadelphia, where he 
lived about a year. He afterward returned to Gettysburg for a short time, 
and in the fall of 1848 moved to Findlay, then a small village of about eight 
or nine hundred inhabitants. He found opportunities at hand for carrying 
on his trade, and in about a year was able to open a cabinet shop of his own. 
]n 1849 ^^s added undertaking to his business on the site where he is now 
operating and has continued in that line ever since. He has done well and 
made many friends while accumulating a competence for his late life, 

Mr. Clark was united in marriage in 1851 in Findlay to Mary Ann De- 
vine. To this couple have been born four children, as follows: Sarah A., who 
died in her sixth year; Charles M. ; John F. and Walter S. Mrs. Clark died 
in July, 1898. Our subject is a member of the English Lutheran church of 
Findlay, and is connected fraternally with Hancock Lodge, No. 72, Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he has been a member for over fifty 
years. 

HARRISON BROOKS. 

We have here one of the gentlemen who at the inception of the Cival 
war patriotically responded to his country's call and served her faithfully 
through that dark and bloody period. He is a well known and practical 
farmer residing in Cass township, where he conducts a farm of seventy-two 
acres. Mr. Harrison Brooks is a son of Jonathan and Rebecca Brooks, and 
w^as born near Tiffin, Seneca county, Ohio, in the year 1838. His parents 
were natives of New York state, and were farmers of more than ordinary 
prominence in their day in Seneca county. Jonathan was a man of consider- 
able influence, possessed of energy and activity, and by toil and perseverance 
made a large place for himself in society, both from moral and a financial 
standpoint. He adhered to the doctrines of the Presbyterian faith. Politi- 
cally he favored the Republican party, and held some of the minor offices in 
the township. He and his wife were laid to rest in Seneca county. 

Harrison Brooks, the son, passed the period of adolescence in Seneca 
county, and was educated at the common schools in the village of Tiffin. 
The parents died early, and his educational advantages were thus limited. 
He was forced to the choice of a vocation earlier in life than the ordinary 
boy. He adopted that of a farmer, and so thoroughly did he master the 
principles of agriculture that he has always been a success. In 1864 he laid 
aside the plow and went to the front as a private soldier in Company B, One 
Hundred and Sixty-fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serving his 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 3 '9 

lime and being honorably discharged at the close of the ^\•ar. In 1866 Mr. 
Brooks took unto himself a partner in the person of Miss Mary Morris of 
Seneca county, this lady being a nati\-e of old England. She became the 
mother of seven children, Jennie, Frank (deceased), Ralph, Ida, Rowley, 
Grace and Harry. The two sons are well-to-do farmers of Hancock county. 
The mother of these children died in 1896. Mr. Brooks with his family re- 
moved from Seneca to Hancock county, and after residing in another sec- 
tion of the township for a few years purchased in 1898 his present farm. He 
is a public spirited and progressive citizen, and his sterling worth and high 
moral character attract to him the good offices of a large circle of friends. 

ALEXANDER B. POWELL. 

iVmong the many emigrants contributed by Pennsylvania to the pioneer 
settlement of Ohio, none have earned a better name or contributed more to 
the development of their respective localities than the original family of 
Powell and their descendants. Daniel and Eliza Powell took up their resi- 
dence in Fairfield county when it gave little promise of becoming the rich 
and prosperous agricultural community into which it later developed. This 
Pennsylvania couple, however, who had been trained to hard work and inured 
to the customs prevailing, soon surrounded themselves with the comforts of 
a country home and lived lives of usefulness which secured them general 
respect. Their son, Alexander B. Powell, was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, 
March 14, 1842, and grew to manhood in the place of his nativity. He was 
fairly well educated in the country schools, but the best part of his training 
was obtained on the farm where he learned those habits of industry and 
mastery of details which were to stand him in good stead in after life. It was 
in 1869 that Mr. Powell determined to remove to Hancock county and in 
January of that year he purchased a tract of land in Blanchard township. 
This farm, consisting of one hundred and forty acres, was at the time Mr. 
Powell obtained possession only partly cleared, but under his deft manipula- 
tion it has been much improved and placed in a high state of cultivation. 
Among the numerous improvements may be mentioned the erection of a 
handsome residence and various out buildings adapted to a modern Ohio farm 
of the best class. Mr. Powell has not indulged in what is called "fancy farm- 
ing, but has adhered to the cultivation of the cereal crops adapted to his 
latitude, besides the breeding and raising of suitable stock of various kinds 
for domestic purposes and the market. 

December 6, 1868, occurred the nuptials of Alexander B. Powell and 



320 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Miss Rebecca L., daughter of Jacob and Rebecca Jackson, the bride being a 
native of Wyandot county, where she was born in 1840. This union proved 
an ideally happy one and has been blessed by the births of some unusually 
bright and promising children whose names are thus recorded : Webster 
H., Elmer A., Eva G., Ross W., Ora L. and Virgil D., deceased. Webster 
H. Powell, the eldest of these children, has already chosen his life's work 
end gives promise of a career of usefulness and brilliancy. After finishing 
in the common school he entered the State Normal at Ada, from which insti- 
tution he graduated with high honors. Subsequently he took a course in 
Delaware College and there also was graduated at the head of his class. He 
expects, as a rounding out of his educational accomplishments, to receive a 
diploma from the Boston Theological Institute in 1903. He is a student 
there at the present time and also fills one of the neighboring pulpits in a 
manner so acceptable as to encourage the prediction that he will eventually 
reach high rank as a minister of the gospel. He is a member of the Central 
Ohio conference of the Methodist Episcopal church, and after his graduation 
will be actively engaged in the work of that great denomination. He married 
Miss Clara Walter, an accomplished young lady of Ohio, and their home has 
been brightened by the advent of one child, Aver D., whose birth occurred in 
1902. 

Elmer Powell, the second son of this interesting family, is ambitious to 
be a physician, and is now a diligent student in the medical department of the 
Chicago University. Mrs. Rebecca L. Powell, after a life devoted to doing 
good, passed away from earth on the 21st of February, 1901. She was a 
consistent member of the Benton Ridge Methodist church, of which Mr. 
Powell is an honored trustee. No family stands higher in Hancock county 
than that of the Powells, who circulate in the best society and rank among 
the most progressive citizens. In politics Mr. Powell is a Democrat, though 
in local affairs he is rather independent and gives his suffrage to those whom 
he considers the best men. 

BENEDICT LICHTY. 

For a number of years past Benedict Lichty has been a prominent figure 
in the annals of Hancock county and has aided materially in its upbuilding. 
By a life of uprightness, industry and honorable dealing — a life devoted to 
the support of whatever is good and true — he has won the love and esteem of 
a large circle of acquaintances. He was born in the far-off land of Switzer- 
land, on the 8th of July, 1848, being a son of Christ and Anna (Lugibihl) 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 321 

Lichty, also natives of the land of the Alps. The father followed the till- 
ing of the soil as a life occupation, and in his family were ten children, six 
sons and four daughters, and all were born in Switzeralnd. 

Benedict Lichty, the fourth child and third son in the above family, 
spent the early years of his life in his native land, but in 1880 he left the 
home of his childhood and youth and came to America, locating first in 
Allen county, Ohio. Shortly afterward, however, he cast in his lot with 
the settlers of Hancock county, locating on the farhi on which he now resides, 
where he has erected commodious and substantial buildings and has made 
all the improvements necessary to a well regulated farm. His homestead 
consists of eighty acres of fertile and productive land, located on section 7, 
Orange township, and there he is engaged in general farming. In his native 
land he was united in marriage to Mary Sommer, who was also born in 
Switzerland, and they have become the parents of nine children, as fol- 
lows : Pauline, Caroline, Jacob (deceased), Emanuel, Martha, Katie, 
Noah, Lena and Dinah, twins. Mr. Lichty is a valued member of the Men- 
nonite church. His many admirable cj[ualities of heart and mind have gained 
for him a large circle of friends, and he is widely and favorably known in 
Hancock county. 

DANIEL E. SWITZER. 

Daniel E. Switzer was born on a farm, and there lived and received his 
education until he was twenty years old, at which time he came to Findlay, 
farm life having little attraction for him. Our subject's father is Henderson 
Switzer, who was born in Richland county, this state, but who later moved to 
Hancock county, where his son Daniel was born in 1868. The elder Switzer 
is a farmer. 

In 1895 Mr. Switzer established the bakery of Switzer Brothers, he hav- 
ing learned the baker's trade soon after coming to Findlay. He has built up 
?. large and flourishing trade, which is a credit to Findlay. He was married 
in 1 89 1 to Clara, daughter of Daniel Alspach, and they have four children, 
as follows: Jessie, Walter, Glenn and Ruth. Mr. Switzer is a member of 
the Order of .Elks, and also the Order of Maccabees. In politics he is a 
Republican. 

JAMES T. ADAMS. 

In commercial circles at Findlay no name is more familiar than that of 
Adams Brothers, the members of which have for many years been identified 
in a conspicuous way with the industries of the city. Both individually and 



322 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

collectively these brothers have contributed much toward the growth and de- 
velopment of the municipality, being active in connection with the social and 
educational as well as the business life of the community. The family is one 
of ancient origin and honorable record, the founder of the American branch 
having come over while the present New England states were still loyal sub- 
jects of the king. Richard Adams, son of this English emigrant, was born 
m Massachusetts, took part as a soldier of the line in the epoch making strug- 
gle for American independ'ence, and after the war located in Pennsylvania. 
The late Rev. William Adams, son of this Revolutionary patriot, was born in 
Perry county, Pemisylvania, in 1798, removed in 1837 to Wayne county, 
Ohio, and in i860 located at Findlay, where he continued to reside until his 
death in 1882. Originally a member of the Presbyterian, he became in later 
life a minister of the Church of God, in which capacity he was widely and 
favorably known among religious workers. This divine was the father of 
the Adams' Brothers, referred to above, and whose lives and business careers 
it is the intention to set forth in this and the subsequent biography. 

James T. Adams was born in Perry county, Pennsylvania, April 22, 
1825, and was ten years old when his parents removed to Richland county, 
Ohio. Such education as he received in childhood was obtained in the 
schools of Massillon, but it was quite limited as necessity compelled him to go 
to work for a living when fourteen years old. He became apprentice to a 
tinner and after learning the trade was engaged in business at Massillon until 
1845, after which he went to Plymouth, Ohio, and worked as a tinsmith for 
sixteen years. In 1854 he came to Findlay, resumed his old business as a tin- 
ner and continued at that trade for the following ten years, when he decided 
to abandon this line of work and change his occupation. His next venture 
was the establishment of an exclusively hardware store, which he carried on 
with more or less success for five or six years, when he disposed of his interests 
and began the manufacture of linseed oil. This venture proving profitable, 
he continued it for eighteen years, or until 1878, when Mr. Adams joined 
his brothers in organizing the foundry and machine business which goes by 
their name. The business was carried on as a partnership until 1890, when it 
was incorporated as a company wdth James T. Adams as president and his 
brother Newton as treasurer. These relations have continued up to the pres- 
ent and meanwhile the company has steadily grown in favor and prosperity 
until their work is familiar in all the marts of northern Ohio devoted to that 
class of goods. During his residence of forty-eight years at Findlay, Mr. 
Adams has been a familiar feature in the city's life and he has aided in many 
ways the general advancement. The people elected him to the city council 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 323 

and he did such good work in that position that there was a general insistence 
en his retention, and the consequence was that Mr. Adams had to serve six- 
teen years before he was allowed to retire. In addition to his councilmanic 
career, he also did good work on the Findlay school board, of which he was a 
member about six years. In 1902 Mr. Adams erected the Adams building — 
60x140 feet, five stories — which is constructed of pressed brick and stone 
and modern in all of its appointments. Mr. Adams' religious convictions are 
in line with Presbyterianism and in politics, though unobtrusively an earnest 
Republican, he avoids the turmoil and bickering of ultra-partisanship. He 
is the oldest Odd Fellow in point of service in Hancock county, also belongs 
to the Encampment and has filled all the chairs in his lodge. In 1849 Mr. 
Adams was married to Harriet L., daughter of Peter Bodine, of Richland 
county, and of the three children resulting from this union, the two sur- 
vivors are Charles F. and Lizzie, wife of John A. Meeks of Findlay. 

NEWTON M. ADAMS. 

This gentleman is the treasurer of the well known Adams' Brothers 
Company, of which his brother James is president, and they have been con- 
nected in business at Findlay for thirty-four years. But his activities are by 
no means confined to his duties with the foundry firm, his regular occupation 
being varied by service in the city council, as chief of the Findlay fire depart- 
ment, and as president of the City Banking Company, which position he holds 
at the present time. As the family history has been given in the sketch of 
James T. Adams, presented above, it will not be necessary to repeat it further 
than to say that the name of Adams has been a respected one in the various 
states where its representatives have resided and nowhere else so much as in 
Ohio, with whose interests they have been identified for more than half a 
century of active business life. 

Newton M. Adams was born at Plymouth, Ohio, December 3, 1844, and 
remained at home until the age of fourteen, when the family necessities com- 
pelled him to seek work for a livelihood. Going to Corunna, Indiana, he 
succeeded in getting employment as clerk in a store, which position he re- 
tained until the turmoil incident to the opening of the Civil war turned his 
ci.ttention in other directions. In short he caught the war fever, and in De- 
cember, 1863, enlisted in Company F, One Hundred and Twenty-ninth Regi- 
ment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served until the close of the 
war and meantime rose to the rank of corporal. Mr. Adams took part wdth 



324 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

his regiment in Sherman's memorable "on to Atlanta" campaign in the spring 
and summer of 1864, but when Hood made his famous break toward Nash- 
ville, the One Hundred and Twenty-ninth formed part of the troops sent in 
pursuit. The most important battles in which Mr. Adams fought were 
those at Franklin, Nashville and Spring Hill, Tennessee, subsequent to which 
his regiment was sent to North Carolina where it took part in the closing 
scenes, including the engagement at Bentonville. After obtaining his final 
discharge, Mr. Adams returned directly to his old place at Corunna, re- 
mained there three years and in 1869 came to Findlay where he embarked in 
the stove and tin business. This venture occupied his attention until 1871 
when he joined his brother in organizing a partnership to conduct the foundry 
and machine business at Findlay, which nine years later eventuated in the 
corporation since officered by the Adams Brothers. He has been one of 
the important factors in the success of this popular plant, as 
he is not only a man of great energy and perseverance, but is noted 
for the clearness and coolness of his business judgment. These qualities 
caused him to be elected to the council, where the city needed his services, also 
made him a gas trustee and led to. his appointment to the responsible post 
of chief of the fire department. 

In 1868 Mr. Adams was united in marriage with Mary J., daughter of 
Levi Brown, and they have four children : Bestor E. ; James T. ; Donald B. 
and Jeannette. Mr. Adams has long been an enthusiastic Odd Fellow and by 
virtue of his military services is a welcome comrade of Post No. 54, Grand 
Army of the Republic. , 

CHARLES F. SMITH. 

i 
The career of this gentleman, now manager of an important traction sys- 
tem at Findlay, is both interesting and instructive, inasmuch as it is typically 
American, and illustrates a distinctive phase of our national life. Students of 
our great transportation systems, to which the United States owes more for 
its rapid development than any other cause, are always struck with the fact 
that its great captains and ruling spirits almost invariably rise from the "bot- 
tom of the ladder" up through the various grades until they reach the top. 
When this pinnacle has been reached its duties are discharged with a capacity 
usually measured by the thoroughness of the educational process undergone 
in attaining it, and generally the one who has been faithful in small things is 
rewarded by being placed in charge of the larger affairs. In the case under 
consideration, it may be mentioned in passing that Mr. Smith acquired his 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 325 

first taste as well as his first knowledge of transportation by electric propulsion 
while serving as an ofiice-boy for one of the Cincinnati inclined plane rail- 
ways. When the opportunity and the man meet and the man has the qualities 
in him to take advantage of the opportunity, the result follows as a matter of 
course, and what pessimistic fault-finders are in the habit of denouncing as 
"special privilege'' or "favoritism" is really nothing more than the bright boy 
or man proving himself equal to the occasion which is constantly presenting 
itself to the deserving in this country of unequaled opportunities. 

Though of German extraction this branch of the Smith family has long 
been thoroughly acclimated by naturalization upon American soil. John C. 
Smith, father of our subject, came over in infancy with his parents, who 
located at Cincinnati, and there passed the remainder of their lives. After 
reaching manhood he became a mechanic, served through the Civil war in 
one of the Ohio regiments of infantry, and died in Cincinnati in 1893, aged 
fifty-three years. Charles F. Smith was born at Cincinnati, November 6, 
1863, and got such academical education as he was destined to receive in the 
schools of that city. But he was one of those boys who do not need much 
"schooling" of. the ordinary kind, they having a way of their own for learn- 
ing those things which are calculated to be most useful and valuable. When 
the youthful Smith had reached his fourteenth year he secured a position as 
office-boy with the Mt. Adams and Eden Park Inclined Plane Railway Com- 
pany, and stuck closely to his position for the next ten years. He became 
assistant superintendent of the company, in which position he continued until 
he came to Findlay, in September, 1887. Without unnecessary delay he 
purchased the material and superintended the building of the Findlay Street 
Railway, with a single trackage of eight miles at first, which has since been 
more than doubled. Mr. Smith continued as manager of the street railway 
until its absorption by the Toledo, Bowling Green & Southern Traction 
Company, after which he was made manager of the latter and has since re- 
tained that position. Inasmuch as he has gone through every department 
he understands the business from the ground up, and consequently makes an 
invaluable employe both for his company and the people. But his activities 
have not been confined to one line of work. In 1892 he became one of the 
organizers of the Hancock Light and Power Company, of which he was 
president for three years, and after the reorganization in 1895 he held the 
vice-presidency until the company was absorbed by the Findlay Street Rail- 
way Company in 1899. In June, igoi, Mr. Smith secured the franchise for 
heating houses by the hot-Avater system, which will be carried on by the trac- 
tion company under his management. It will be seen from the foregoing 



326 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

recital that Charles F. Smith is just the kind of man needed in every com- 
munity to make the wheels of progress go round and who are especially 
valuable in these days of electric development, when no town is of conse- 
quence which has not a good transit system, electric lighting plant and other 
up-to-date improvements. Improvement enterprises will not be established, 
neither will they progress, without the right kind of men behind them. 

In 1885 Mr. Smith was married at Cincinnati to Miss Lizzie J., daughter 
of John M. Farland, and Harry C. Smith is the product of this union. Mr. 
Smith's political predilections are Republican, and his fraternal connections 
are with the Mystic Shrine, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias and Elks. 

GEORGE WHITEFIELD NORRIS. 

Mr. Norris is a resident farmer of Cass township, and was born in Fair- 
field county, Ohio, on the 27th of July, 1846. Six years later he removed with 
his parents to Hancock county, since which time he has been a continuous 
resident. He was brought up on a farm, where he engaged in the occupations 
incident to his environment, receiving an ordinary school education. When 
our country was threatened by internal disturbances, in the troublous times 
of the Civil war, Mr. Norris, though a mere boy, was exceedingly anxious 
to engage in the defense of the Union. His age, however, was a bar to the 
active expression of his loyalty until the year 1864, when he enlisted as a 
member of Company F, of the Forty-seventh Regiment, Ohio Volunteer In- 
fantry as a private soldier. In this company he served until the time of his 
honorable discharge at the close of the war, participating in all the service that 
fell to the lot of his command. Returning to the pursuits of peace, he en- 
gaged in farming, and has since then been a member of that honorable class 
which is proud to number among its members such men as Washington, Jef- 
ferson and many other of the prominent men of this country. 

December 21, 1870, he led to the matrimonial altar Miss Sarah A., 
daughter of Alexander and Catherine Baker, who is a woman of superior at- 
tainments and during all of these years has been a true helpmate to her hus- 
band. She is a native of Hancock county, having been born in Cass township 
February 2, 1849. Her grandfather on the maternal side was one of the pio- 
neers of the county, the name of John H. Eckert appearing in the handwrit- 
ing of President Andrew Jackson on the original patent to the farm on which 
she and her husband now reside. Mr. Norris and his wife have cultivated 
this farm since 1870. Its ninety acres consist of most valuable soil, and con- 
tain one gas well. • Mr. Norris is a Republican in politics, has held the office 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 327 

of township trustee, and at the date of the present writing is the honored 
treasurer of the township. Fraternally, he affiliates with the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows, and is a worthy member of Stoker Post, No. 54, of 
the Grand Army of the Republic. 

Alexander M. Norris, now deceased, the father of our subject, was born 
in Harford county, Maryland, September 17, 1808. As was the custom in 
that early day, he was apprenticed to a trade, and became an expert and skilled 
worker in leather, following for a number of years the particular branch of 
the trade known as shoemaking. In 1835 ^^^ emigrated to Fairfield county, 
Ohio, and in 1852 removed to Hancock county, where he abandoned the trade 
of his early life and began a career as an agriculturist. Here he purchased 
at various times lands amounting to two hundred and twenty acres. He be- 
came a man in good circumstances before he died. He was a man of fine 
judgment, honest, industrious, and respected by his neighbors, among whom 
he had considerable influence. Politically he was a Republican, though he 
VN^as not given to taking part in the public life of the community. He was 
married twice, first to Mary J., the daughter of John Norris, in 1837. By 
this union there were six children, four of whom grew to maturity, and 
three still living : Mary F. ; Elizabeth A. ; and Sarah J. The mother died 
in 1844, and for his second wife Mr. Norris chose Maria, the daughter of Mr, 
and Mrs. Stone, the second marriage following close upon the death of the 
mother of his children because of their helpless condition. The second mar- 
riage was consummated in 1845, and to this union were born five children, 
three of whom are now living, George W. ; David L. ; and Annie R. Mrs. 
Maria Norris was a native of Virginia, having been born November 23, 181 1. 
She died in June, 1892, her husband, Alexander M., dying in September, 
3898. 

Mr. and Mrs. George W. Norris have three children : John N., Belle 
and George D. Mr. Norris owns two hundred and fifty acres of fine land on 
which there are now four oil wells. 

WILLIAM JAMES FREY. 

A notable character in more ways than one is the gentleman whose 
career is herein to be briefly outlined. During his residence of over forty 
years at Findlay, he has been prominently connected with the politics and busi- 
ness as well as the industrial and social life of the city. As a popular can- 
didate for congress, chairman of the state committee of one of the great politi- 
cal parties, president of the city water works, a leading druggist and in other 



328 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

ways Mr. Frey has been constantly in the pubhc eye, and necessarily subjected 
to the criticism which never fails to accompany prominence of any kind. 
That he has passed through this ordeal unscathed is sufficient evidence that 
he possesses those moral qualities which enable one to rise superior to the 
ordinary faultfinding, characteristic of humanity, and grow steadily in the 
good will as well as esteem of the community. Mr. Frey comes from an old 
family, which originated in England, but was long domiciled in Maryland, 
the first immigrant locating at Baltimore but later settling in the southwest- 
ern part of the state. His grandfather was Dr. William Frey, who was born 
and bred in Maryland and became a noted physician, his practice extending 
over a wide area of the state. He married Elizabeth Coddington, daughter 
of General Coddington of Revolutionary fame and member of a family of 
great influence during the formative period of the republic. Samuel D. Frey, 
son of the Doctor, was born in Alleghany county, near Cumberland, Mary- 
land, in 1825, and was the first of the name to try his fortunes in the west. 
In 1846 he came to Bellfontaine, Ohio, as a contractor engaged in building 
the first line of railroad through that town. A short time before his arrival 
in a business capacity, he has visited Bellfontaine in a more interesting role 
and had been married there to Priscilla B., daughter of Hon. John Sheer. 
The latter was a man of note in Maryland and for many years represented 
Alleghany county in the state legislature. After finishing his contract with 
the railroad company Samuel D. Frey followed other pursuits and finally 
came to Findlay, where he was engaged in the drug business until the time 
of his death in 1897. 

William James Frey, son of the last mentioned, was born at Bellefon- 
taine, Ohio, December 9, 1854, and was six years old when his parents re- 
moved to Findlay. His education was received in the schools of the latter 
city, supplemented by attendance for two years at Cleveland College, and 
a term at the Commercial College in the same place. It was in 1871 that 
Mr. Frey finished his course at the last named school and immediately there- 
after he returned to his home in Findlay, to take up the serious affairs of life. 
His ambition had always been to qualify himself for the profession of law, 
and with this end in view he took up the study in the office of Judge M. C. 
Whiting, at that time one of the distinguished advocates of Ohio. Though 
Mr. Frey finished his course at the last named school and immediately there- 
finally abandoned his intention of following the profession and joined his 
father in the drug business at Findlay, which connection he has since con- 
tinuously maintained. Mr. Frey got in touch with politics at an early age, 
exhibited a natural turn therefor and has risen to prominence as one of the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 329 

leaders of the Democratic party. Eventually he was nominated b}' his party 
as its candidate for congress in the Eighth Ohio district, which normally has 
a Republican majority of 6,500, but by a vigorous canvass and much hard 
work Mr. Frey managed to cut down these figTires over two thousand. At 
the Democratic state convention in 1900, he was made chairman of his party's 
state central committee and held that position during the two subsequent 
years to the entire satisfaction of his associates. He was re-elected to this 
position at Sandusky in 1902. In 1890 Mr. Frey was elected president of 
the Findlay Water Works Company and has since discharged the duties of 
that office. 

In 1890 Mr. Frey w^as united in marriage with Miss Mary, daughter of 
Captain Alexander Gilchrist, of Vermilion county, and the result of the union 
is an only daughter, named Florence M. Mr. Frey's fraternal connections 
are confined to membership in the Knights of Pythias, and the Benevolent and 
Protective Order of Elks. 

JAMES T. HOY. 

The story, of Philip Hoy, founder of the family of that name in Hancock 
county, is interesting because so typical of the early pioneer period. Born 
in Pennsyvania in 1793, he made his way to Kentucky at a time when the 
" dark and bloody ground " was still unsettled in its government and not 
the most desirable place for peaceful pursuits. About the end of the first 
quarter of the ninteenth century Philip Hoy crossed the river to Cincinnati, 
later went to Columbus and from, there to Fairfield county, finally "winding- 
up '' in Hancock county in 1834. During all his wanderings Philip was 
accompanied by his faithful wife, Tilitha, who was born in 1798 and shared 
her husband's fortunes for weal or woe for more than sixty years. Philip 
Hoy entered one hundred and twenty acres of land in what is now Amanda 
township, erected a rude log cabin after the universal custom of those times 
and moved in with his family. At this stage of the game Philip made an 
inventory of his resources and found he had just fifty cents with which to 
begin life in the new country. But, as a matter of fact, the lack of money 
was little regarded by the pioneers, who lived principally upon game and 
fish until they could realize something from their crops. Thus, though there 
might not be a cent in actual money about the house for a year, there would 
be an abundance of excellent food and comfortable though coarse material 
for clothing. By dint of tlie usual digging and hacking Philip Hoy finally 
brought his farm into fair shape and improved in circumstances as the years 



330 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

went by. He was very religions in Ins temperament and became a local 
minister of the United Brethren church, in which capacity he was instru- 
mental in building; and keeping alive several ciiurches for use of pioneer 
preachers. In other respects Philip Hoy became a man of influence in his 
comnuinity, holding some of the important township offices and enjoying 
prestige as a soldier of the war of 1812. He passed away ii; 1879, in the 
eighty-eighth year of his age, and five years later was followed to the grave 
by his faithful widow. This worthy couple became the parents of eight 
children : Caliste Ramsay, Mary A. Clapper, Daniel, Lewis, Wilson, John, 
Lewis H. and James T, 

Of the children above enumerated only four are now living, and among 
these is James T. Hoy, who was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, April 19, 
1829. He was therefore an infant of tender years when brought by his 
parents to Hancock county and installed as one of the occupants of the log 
cabin in Amanda township. Schools in those days were as scarce as other 
comforts of civilization, and pioneer children seldom secured much learn- 
ing in these crude academies of the wilderness. Young Hoy got his share 
as he g"rew up, but depended much more on the carpenter's trade he had 
learned than on book knowledge as a means of making his way in the world. 
Many years of the early part of his life were devoted to carpenter work, 
which was then much in demand and well remunerated, and from his general 
work he finally saved up enough to buy a farm. His first purchase of 
real estate was made in 1872 and consisted of one hundred acres, to which he 
added forty acres more three years later. Since then his holdings have been 
greatly improved as well as increased in value by the erection of suitable 
buildings and other beautifying processes which indicate the progressive 
farmer. In fact everything on or about the Hoy home has an appearance 
of prosperity and up-to-dateness that prove better than words can the pres- 
ence of a master who understands his business. 

In 1856 Mr. Hoy Avas united in marriage with Euphemia, daughter of 
Rufus and Harriet Bennett, old settlers of Hancock county. They arrived 
from Pennsylvania in 1835, just one year after the advent of the Hoys, 
and from that time on the two failiilies were intimately connected in their 
social relations. The Bennetts entered one hundred and twenty acres of 
land in Jackson township, but subsequently increased their estate to five 
hundred acres, which is now in the hands of their seven surviving children. 
Mrs. Hoy was born near Wilkesbarre, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, Jan- 
uary I, 1833. and was conseciuently an infant in arms when her parents 
reached their destination in Ohio. Mr. and Mrs, Hoy have three children : 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 331 

Bennett G., Serelcla V. and Harriet T. The parents are members of the 
Methodist Episcopal church, and Mr. Hoy is connected with the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows. He has served as township trustee, and in 1875 was 
nominated as a candidate for county commissioner. 

THEODORE KARN. 

Prominently known as a representative of one of the honored pioneer 
families of Hancock county is Theodore Karn, who also deserves mention 
in this volume by reason of his own worth and prominence. He is a well 
known farmer of Cass township, where he resides on a holding of sixty acres 
of land, which he devotes to general farming. His parents were Ezra and 
Elizabeth (Albertson) Karn, the former born in iMaryland, September 16, 
1815, and the latter in New Jersey, June 23, 181 q. Their marriage occurred 
March 21, 1839, and their family consisted of the following children: Will- 
iam, born August 22, 1840; Theodore, February 9, 1842; Drucilla, October 
13, 1846; Jerome, September 25, 1848; Simeon, June 20, 1852; Albert, 
April 22, 1855; Martin, July i, 1857; Mary E., deceased, November 4, 
1859. Ezra Karn removed to Cass township in 1835, and previous to that 
date he had located for a short time in Holmes county, Ohio. In 1840 he 
purchased forty acres of land in section ten, which was in its primitive state, 
and the usual log house and outbuildings were erected by him. In 1845 he 
sold this farm, receiving for it $400, with which he purchased one hundred 
and sixty acres, also in its virgin state. He continued to improve and beau- 
tify this farm, and in i860 he purchased another eighty acres, part of which 
his son Theodore now owns. Ezra Karn was a popular man in his day, and 
a most successful farmer. He ser\'ed the township for several years as 
trustee, and was actively interested- in educational ^vork, having served on 
the school board. His religious proclivities found endorsement in the 
Lutheran church, in which he served for a period as deacon. In political 
belief he held to the principles of Democracy. Fie served on the board of 
agriculture for several years and was one of its projectors. His life, while 
not being an eventful one, was full of that interest which must ever attach 
to the noble band of pioneers that built society in Hancock county. He died 
September 3, 1883, liis wife having preceded him b}' three years, dying May 
12, 1880. Valentine Karn, the grandfather of our immediate subject, came 
to the county about the same time as the son. He settled on one hundred 
and sixty acres of land which had but very few improvements. His wife 
was Elizabeth Smoots, .and their family numbered seven sons and four 



332 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

daughters, one of the daughters still living. Valentine was a cooper by 
trade, and was a first-class mechanic as well as a good and industrious 
farmer. He died in the spring of 1845. ^^^ \\'\it followed him several 
years later. 

Theodore Karn was born in Cass township as above mentioned, and 
spent his youth on the farm, being early trained to habits of industry and 
economy, that have proved a substantial foundation upon which to rear 
the superstructure of his manhood's success. He adopted farming as a 
profession, and upon establishing a home of his own called to preside over 
it Miss Mary E. Swisher. This event occurred in 1883. Mrs. Karn is 
che daughter of Peter and Sara A. Swislier. She was born at Ada, Ohio, 
on the 28th of December, 1864. She has presented her husband with the 
following children: Lola E., February 20, 1885; Grace B., January 25, 
1887; Bessie A., December 23, 1889; Cloyse A., April 3, 1893; Laura j., 
January 23, 1896; and Edwin, December 18, 1899. 

Mr. and Mrs. Karn, together with their- interesting family, reside in 
peace and contentment among a host of admiring friends and acc[uaintances. 

ELMER C. BOLTON. 

The above named gentleman, at present holding the responsible position 
of engineer of Hancock county, deserves especial notice among the young 
men who have achieved exceptional success in difficult lines of employment 
though scarcely thirty years of age. Mr. Bolton has been connected with 
the engineering department of the county or city ever since leaving school, 
and has exhibited an aptitude for the work that bespeaks the born mechanic. 
In fact, Mr. Bolton is regarded as one of the brightest and most promising 
of the county's young men, his friends predicting for him higher and better 
things than any so far achieved. Though not a native, all hrs adult life has 
been spent in Llauf^ock county, and he is so thoroughly identified with its 
interests as to deserve rank among her most loyal sons. 

Elmer C. Bolton was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, 
October 19, 1873, and when nine years of age Vv^as brought to Ohio by his 
parents. They located in Hancock county, and here Elmer received his edu- 
cation in Findlay College, supplemented by a course in the Ohio Normal 
University at Ada. He left the last mentioned institution in 1894 and 
shortly thereafter obtained employment as a helper in the office of the en- 
gineer of Hancock county. Two years later he became a candidate for the 
office of engineer, and at the fall election in 1S96 was defeated by only 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 333 

fourteen \'otes. In January, 1897, the legislature extended the term of 
several county ofhcers, among the number being that of engineer, and Mr. 
Bolton was appointed by the county commissioners to fill out a term of 
eight months in that office expiring in September, 1897. At the expiration 
of that time he was appointed engineer of Findlay by the city council, and 
served in that office from September i, 1897, until June i, 1900. In the fall 
of 1899 he had been elected county engineer for a term of three years, 
and took charge of his ofhce shortly after finishing his service with the city. 

Mr. Bolton finds relief from business cares by social communion with 
his fellows in various fraternities, incliding the Masons, Elks and Knights 
of Pythias. Benjmain F. Bolton, father of this popular young official, 
who was born in Hancock county in 1848, is at present engaged in the 
insurance business at Findlay, and in one of the respected citizens of the 
place. 

September 25, 1901, Mr. Bolton was united in marriage to Miss Dena 
Singleton, of Findlay, daughter of M. C. and Jennie Singleton. In politics 
Mr. Bolton is a Republican and was nominated September 6, 1902, for re- 
election to the position he was then holding. 

DAVID B. SOLT. 

David B. Solt has for twenty years been engaged in dealing in stock 
as a member of the firm of P. Solt & Company, of Eagle township. Fie 
makes his home two and a half miles east of Rawson and six miles south- 
west of Findlay, where he has a valuable property. He is widely known 
as a representative of agricultural interests, who through the exercise of 
business ability and unflagging enterprise has achieved success and won an 
honored name. 

Born in Eagle township May 23, 1857, David B. Solt is the second son 
of Peter Solt, and upon the home farm he was reared. In his boyhood he 
began to assist his fa,ther by driving cattle, and thus he was employed until 
twenty-five years of age, wheii he was admitted to a partnership in his fa- 
ther's stock dealing operations under the present firm style of P. Solt & 
Company. The present firm consists of the father, who is the senior mem- 
ber, D. B. Solt, F. B. McClellan and Smith Hoy. Mr. McClellan and our 
subject handle the stock at Rawson and P. Solt and Mr. Hoy make Findlay 
their headquarters. This business relation has been maintained for twenty 
years and the firm has enjoyed the profits of a constantly growing business. 
Thev have handled stock on an extensive scale and their annual sales return 



334 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

to them a good income. The subject of this review remained on his father's 
farm until his marriage, when he secured a farm of his own, and nine years 
ago he came to his present place of residence in Eagle township, not far from 
Rawson. Here he has eighty acres of rich and arable land. It is the old 
homestead farm of Daniel Raddebaugh, whose youngest daughter, Amy, be- 
came the wife of Mr. Solt. 

This land was first improved by Daniel Raddebaugh, whose father had 
entered the land for him, although living in Fairfield county. The grand- 
father was Samuel Raddebaugh, who settled near Findlay and was killed 
six or seven years ago, his death resulting from a beating inflicted by rob- 
bers. His children were : John, who is now living on Benton ridge, in 
Liberty townsiiip, at the age of ninety years ; Joseph, who also lived in that 
township and died at the age of seventy-five years ; and Daniel, the father of 
Mrs. Solt. All aided materially in the upbuilding and improvement of 
Hancock county, the family being a prominent one of this portion of the 
state. Daniel Raddebaugh was united in marriage to Maria Hosier, and 
three years later removed to what is now the Solt farm, although he had 
previously come and built a cabin on the place. He made his permanent 
location about 1846. She was born July 27, 1825, in Pickaway county, 
Ohio, and there remained until her marriage, which occurred vrhen she was 
eigliteen years of age. Her last days were spent on tlie old homestead, 
where she departed this life December 11, 1901. In their family were 
eleven children, of whom one died in infancy, while nine are yet living, and 
George, who was a farmer of Wood county, Ohio, died at the age of forty- 
two years. Mrs. Solt is now tlie only one living in Eagle township, but 
Edmond and Jane are residents of this county. Monroe is living in Cold- 
water, Michigan ; Jefferson makes his home in Minonk, Illinois ; Edward 
is a resident of Findlay, Ohio; Lucy is living in Marion, this state; Anna 
is in Bluffton, Ohio; and Ellis is a minisrer of the Evangelical church, at 
Bluffton. The father still resides upon the old home place and has now 
reached an advanced age. 

The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Solt was celebrated April 8, 1880, when 
the lady was seventeen years of age. llieir home has been blessed with 
five daughters: Pearl May, now the wife of Thaddeus Keller, of Eagle 
township; Elva Dale, Jessie Fremont, Dora 01i\'e and Eva MillDurn, all 
with their parents, the family circle yet remaining unbroken by the hand 
of death. 

Mr. Solt has continued to improve his farm since locating thereon, 
remodeling the house, building a barn and adding many modern equipments 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 335 

and accessories. He also has two other farms in Eagle township, conipris- 
ing- ahogether three hundred and twenty acres, and two of these he operates, 
the well-tilled fields yielding to him a good return. He usually feeds ([uite 
a large number of cattle annually. He has eight producing oil wells upon 
the home place, but has confined his attention to agricultural pursuits and 
stock dealing, in which he has met with very creditable success. He is 
a working member of tb.e Republican party and attends its conventions. 
Both he and his wife hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church 
of Rawson, in which he is serving as a trustee. His interest in everything 
pertaining to the general welfare is deep and sincere and his hearty co-opera- 
tion has been given to many measures for the pul)lic benefit. 

C. A. CARPENTER. 

In the popular mind the blacksmith has always been associated with 
robustness of physic[ue, cheery temperament which comes from good health 
and honesty of purpose in all the affairs of life. No poem has been more 
admired and cjuoted than Longfellow's famous tribute to the "Village Black- 
smith," and the wholesome, heartfelt utterances in this popular production 
have thrown a charm around the "anvil chorus" of the old corner shop that 
constituted an ideal occupation in the mind of every reader. The black- 
smith is always an important character in the community, not only on ac- 
count of the indispensable work that he does, but because as a general thing 
tlie personage who presides over the bellows and the musical hammer is 
man of sturdy honesty and genial personality. To this honorable guild the 
subject of this sketch has belonged for many years, and those who know him 
will admit that he is a typical blacksmith of the old school and in every way 
a worthy representative of his class. He is a son of Orson C. Carpenter, who 
was born in the state of New York in 1820 and moved to Indiana, where 
he lived at various places and at the time of his death was a miller in Steuben 
county. His son, C. A. Carpenter, was born in 1852 while his parents were 
living on a farm in Allen county, Indiana. He lived there until nine years 
old, when he went with his father to the village of Flint, w'here he attended 
the public schools and grew to manhood. At the age of seventeen years he 
apprenticed himself to learn the blacksmith's trade, a calling for which he 
exhibited a natural adaptability, .\fter he had thoroughly mastered all the 
details and become a journeyman in the business, he followed it at Flint until 
.r877, when he opened a shop at Corona, Indiana. He remained at that place 
until 1 88 1, when he removed to Findlay and entered the employment of 



336 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Coons, Adams & Co., now Adams Bros., in their foundry, which occupied his 
time for sixteen months. At the expiration of that period he opened a black- 
smith shop of his own, which he has since continued to conduct with the 
energy that characterizes all his movements. Mr. Carpenter's specialty has 
been horseshoeing, both plain and fancy, and in this line he has established a 
reputation second to no mechanic of his class in the community. That he 
has been successful in his pursuits and "Gathered gear by every wile that's 
justified by honor," is evidenced by the fact that he has recently completed 
a handsome brick business block on North Main street in Findlay. 

Mr. Carpenter has been twice married. In 1873 he was joined in wed- 
lock at Flint, Indiana, with Charlotte Merritt, daughter of Daniel Merritt, 
a farmer, and she died in 1878, leaving two children : Claude G., aged twenty- 
four, and Lura, aged twenty-seven. In 1882 he was united in marriage with 
Miss Katie O., daughter of Jonathan K. Kissel, a carpenter and joiner, by 
whom he has one daughter named Mina, born March 29, 1886. Mr. Car- 
penter has always been a Democrat in politics and was honored by election to 
the city council of Findlay as representative from the First ward, which 
normally gives a Republican majority of one hundred and twenty-five. This 
tribute to his personal popularity was shown to be deserved by the satisfac- 
tory manner in which he served his term of two years. ]\Ir. Carpenter is not 
connected with any church but shows his fondness for fraternal fellowship 
by holding membership in the Tribe of Ben Hur, the Elks, the Junior Order 
of United American Mechanics and the Daughters of America. 

Samuel Carpenter, the grandfather of our subject, a native of New York, 
was a carpenter in his early days and later a farmer. He lived about ninety 
years. 

JOSEPH S. PATTERSON. 

Only the "oldest inhabitants" can remember the time when the name of 
Patterson was not connected with the dry goods business at Findlay. Be- 
ginning in the spring- of t8|9, ]\ir. Patterson has been connected with the 
city's mercantile interests for fifty-three consecutive years, changing firms 
occasionally, but always remaining either as partner or principal in the busi- 
ness. Thus he is entitled to rank as the dean of the dry goods corps at Find- 
lay and as one of the oldest merchants in the state in point of years of service. 
He inherited his taste for this lousiness and acquired qujilifications for its 
pursuits in early youth, as his fatlier had been a dry goods merchant of long 
standing. The family is of Irish origin, and for the purposes of this biog- 
raphy begins with the subject's grandfather, James Patterson, who was min- 



L^.:^.* 





, (y^i^^^:^. 



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CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 337 

inister of the Established church in Ireland, and ended his days in his native 
land. His son, Robert Patterson, was born in north Ireland in 1789, came 
to Ohio in. 181 1 and located lirst in Licking county and later at Bellefon- 
taine, where he was connected with mercantile affairs for half a century. He 
established himself in the dry goods business, at first in a small way, but 
enlarging as prosperity came until at the time of his death, in 1867, he had 
acquired rank as the leader in his line in that part of the state. In 1819 he 
married Eliza, daughter of Joseph Moore, of Licking county, by whom he 
had nine children as follows: Mary E., Lydia Ann, Elizabeth, Edward, 
Joseph S., James McG., Sarah Jane, Isabelle McKee and Robert E. 

Joseph S. Patterson, who, as will be seen from the above list, is the fifth 
of the children, was born at Bellefontaine, Logan county, Ohio, November 
25, 1827. He remained at home attending school until sixteen years old, and 
in March, 1843, came alone to Hancock county, engaged as clerk in a store 
at Findlay and held that position for the following six years. In March, 
1849, he acquired an interest in the dry goods store of Frederick Henderson, 
and under the firm name of Henderson & Patterson the business was con- 
tinued at the old stand for three years. At the end of that time the firm, by 
reorganization and the introduction of new capital, became J. S. Patterson 
& Company, continuing as such until 1857, when Mr. Patterson retired and 
opened another store in connection with Milton Taylor. This new firm of 
Patterson & Taylor conducted business until the dissolution of the partner- 
ship in 1865, when still another dry goods store was opened, in charge of 
J. S. Patterson & Sons, which continued to the present time. The only break 
in the continuity of Mr. Patterson's career as a merchant occurred in 1857, 
when he was appointed agent at F'indlay and had charge of the warehouse 
of what was then known as the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad, which 
position he occupied for one year and then returned to the dry goods busi- 
ness. 

Mr. Patterson was married in 1853, to Minerva, daughter of William 
Taylor, and has two children, Charles W. and Frank T., who constitute the 
"sons" of the present well known dry goods firm. Thirty-seven years have 
elapsed since their father took them into partnership, and during this period 
they have shared in the reputation for fair dealing and commercial honesty 
long maintained by the firm of J. S. Patterson & Sons. Not only as mer- 
chants but as citizens in all the relations of life they stand well in the com- 
munity of Findlay. Mr. Patterson's religious affiliations are with the Pres- 
byterian church, and though Republican in politics is not an aspirant in that 
direction, his entire officeholding during his long career being confined to 



33« CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

service for three years in the Findlay city council. He was chairman of the 
building committee for the erection of the new Presbyterian church at Find- 
lay and treasurer of the old Presbyterian church at the time it was erected 
m 1855. Charles W. Patterson, the eldest of the sons, was born at Findlay 
in 1854, educated in the schools of this city and later attended Wooster Col- 
lege and since 1875 has been engaged in the merchandise business. In 1882 
he was united in marriage to Miss Jessie Dunn, of Columbus, Ohio. Frank 
T., the other son, born at Findlay in 1862, educated in the schools of this city, 
and is now a member of the firm. Fie was married in 1887 ^^ Miss j\Iame 
Vance, of Findlay. 

SAMUEL M. BIGGS. 

Samuel M. Biggs, who was an enterprising farmer of Eagle township 
and a man of uncjuestioned probity and sterling worth, was born in West- 
moreland county, Pennsylvania, April i, 1828, his parents being Llewellyn 
and Martha (McGrew) Biggs. The family comes of English ancestry and 
Llewellyn Biggs, the grandfather of our subject, was one of the heroes of the 
Revolutionary struggle which brought independence to the colonies. After 
arriving at years of maturity the father of our subject was married to Miss 
Mahala Kelly, who survived her marriage but a short time. Unto them were 
born four children, Ellen, Llewellyn, Martha and William. In 1858 the 
father came to Hancock county, Ohio, and engaged in contracting and build- 
ing, making his headcjuarters in Liberty township, west of Findlay. On the 
13th of May, i860, he was joined in wedlock to Sarah J., daughter of Will- 
iam and Elizabeth (Buchanan) Yates, who resided on the present Biggs 
homestead, four and a half miles west of Findlay, on the Lima road. Her 
father entered this tract of land in the early '30s, at which time he was living 
in Guernsey county, Ohio. He was born in Pennsylvania and at an early 
day settled in this state. His brother Samuel came to Hancock county after 
the arrival of William and settled in the same neighborhood. It was in the 
year 1844 that William Yates brought his family to Eagle township, his 
daughter Sarah being then ten years of age, and began to develop and im- 
prove a farm. The family home was a log cabin and for a few years they 
lived in true pioneer style, but gradually secured all the comforts which they 
had known in their old home and which were common in the east. As the 
years passed the father tilled his fields and his labors brought large crops 
which materially augmented his income. He owned two hundred and forty 
acres of land in the old homestead and as his financial resources increased he 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 339 

added to his property until his landed possessions aggregated one thousand 
acres. He thus became one of the extensive farmers and large landowners of 
the county and was also largely engaged in stock-raising and dealing, making- 
shipments to city markets. As long as he lived he remained the active man- 
ager of his business interests, never relegating to others the control of his 
affairs. About 1857 he erected the brick residence which now stands upon his 
farm and it was in this house that his daughter, Mrs. Biggs, w^as married. 

It was also in that same house that Mr. Yates died on the 15th of April, 
1 89 1, when he had reached the age of eighty-four years, one month and three 
days. His wife had previously passed away, her death having occurred Jan- 
tiary 11, 187 1. In the family of this worthy and honored couple were eight 
children : Samuel, who lived in Eagle township and died at the age of sixty- 
seven years ; Phoebe Ann, who became the wife of Andrew Pow^ell, of Liberty 
township, and died at the age of twenty-eight years; William, who enlisted 
in the Union army as a member of the Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry 
and died in the hospital during his term of service; Eliza, who became the 
wife of Alva Fink, of Eagle township, and died at the age of fifty years; 
Sarah J. ; Thomas, who was also a member of the Twenty-first Regiment of 
Ohio Volunteers and w^as killed at Stone river; Elizabeth, the wife of An- 
drew Fellers, of Bowding Green, Kentucky; and Joseph, wdio died in Eagle 
township, at the age of fifty-five years. 

William Yates was an active Democrat in his political affiliations and 
served as township assessor and county commissioner. He also belonged to 
the Methodist Episcopal church, holding membership in DeLeal chapel, which 
was then a strong congregation, but the organization ceased to exist and no 
vestige of the church now remains/ His was an honorable and upright life, 
characterized by activity and trustworthiness in business, by loyalty in citizen- 
ship and by faithfulness to friends and family. 

After the marriage of Samuel Biggs and Sarah Yates they lived upon 
a part of her father's farm and he continued to follow his trade. After her 
mother's death they took charge of the property and bought one-half of the 
farm, and at the settlement of the estate purchased the remainder of the 
other heirs, thus becoming owners of tw^o hundred and forty acres of valuable 
land., Mr. Biggs then gave his attention entirely to agricultural pursuits 
and Mr. Yates, her father, made his home with them for several years prior 
to his death. In the work of caring for the farm Mr. Biggs was energetic, 
followed progressive methods and prospered in his undertakings. 

The home was blessed with five children: Elizabeth E., Ada I., Emma 
D., the wife of W. S. Fortune, of Findlay, Ohio, Lemuel S. and Arna W. 



340 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

The two eldest daug-hters and Arna W. own the old home place and operate 
it in partnership. The father died August 23, 1899, and although he had 
been ailing for some time his death came suddenly. His wife survived him 
until January 2t^, 1902, when she, too, passed away, after having been in 
failing health for a year. He was a stanch Republican, attended party con- 
ventions and was a man of considerable local influence. He kept well in- 
formed on the issues of the day and was always ready to support his views 
by intelligent argument. He also read widely on other topics, including cur- 
rent events and general history. Both he and his wife held membership in 
the Pleasant Grove United Brethren church, which stood on her father's 
farm, and they took an active part in church work, being strict observers of 
its rules and teaching and well informed on Bible questions. They were laid 
to rest in Hartman cemetery, where her parents also sleep, and thus passed 
away a couple whose genuine worth was widely acknowledged and who left 
behind them many warm friends to mourn their loss. 

SURREL PEARSON DeWOLF. 

As city clerk, auditor of Hancock county, and business manager of the 
Republican newspaper, Mr. DeWolf has been kept rather prominently be- 
fore the public for a number of years. The position he has held enabled him 
to exercise influence, and this has always been exerted so as to most effi- 
ciently aid worthy causes and best advance the public welfare. The family 
is of French extraction but so long domesticated in the United States that 
all of France has disappeared save the turn of the name. The Ohio branch 
originated in Butler county, Pennsylvania, where Eli G. DeWolf was born 
in 1838 and learned the printer's trade as he grew from youth to manhood, 
having thus early acquainted a taste for "the art preservative" he never after- 
ward lost it, as his whole subsequent life was devoted to the newspaper busi- 
ness. Having removed to Ohio in 1863 he purchased the "Pike County Re- 
publican," a weekly paper published at VVaverly, and conducted it until the 
close of the war, after which for several years he held the position of fore- 
man of the "Ohio State Journal" at Columbus. In 1868 he came to Findlay, 
and bought an interest in the "Weekly Jeffersonian," which he retained .until 
1876. Later he founded the "Daily Republican," with which he was connected 
until his death. In 1875 he was appointed postmaster of Findlay by President 
Grant, received a reappointment both from Presidents Hayes and Arthur, and 
thus served through three administrations. He was a genuine newspaper man 
in every respect, much wedded to his calling, possessing all the characteristics 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 341 

of those who have "come up from the case/' and his impress was left on every 
newspaper of which he had control. As running country newspapers is not 
a money-making- business, he did not accumulate wealth, but he exercised a 
power as a writer which he never failed to use for the best purposes. His 
political predilections were earnestly Republican, and he gave that party most 
strenuous support both \mth. tongue and pen until the end of his life in 1888. 

Surrell Pearson DeWolf was born on his father's farm in Butler county, 
Pennsylvania, November 5, i860, and was eight years old when his parents 
located at Findlay. In 1886 he became business manager of the "Republi- 
can," in which he and his father, Eli G. DeWolf, owned a controlling inter- 
est, and had charge of the paper about four years. In 1892 he was elected 
city clerk of Findlay, ' obtained a re-election in 1894, and served four years 
in this office. In Noveijiber, 1895, he was elected auditor of Hancock county 
on the Republican ticket, being the first Republican auditor in the history of 
the county, and assumed charge of his office in the following year at the 
expiration of his- term of service with the city. In 1898 Mr. DeWolf was 
re-elected auditor of the county, in 1900 resumed his position as business 
manager of the "Republican" and in 1901 became managing editor of that 
journal. 

In 1880, Mr. DeWolf w^as united in marriage at Findlay with Miss 
Emma B. Brown, and has two children : Clarke F. and ]\Ietta A. Clarke F. 
DeWolf enlisted as a private in Company M, Thirty-fifth Regiment, United 
States Volunteers at the beginning of the Spanish-American war and served 
eighteen months in the Philippines. Mr. DeWolf's fraternal connections are 
with the Knights of Pythias and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. 

ISAAC DAVIS. 

William Davis, deceased, w^as one of the well known representative 
men of Hancock county. He was a native of Maryland, and a man of much 
worth. It is safe to say that he was a self-made man in that full accep- 
tation of the term. Educated in a limited degree, and reared where slavery 
prevailed, this training was not a very excellent foundation for true manhood 
and noble character, yet William Davis reached the one and built firmly and 
well on the other. He came to this county in 1832, wdiere he located in 
Marion township and purchased at various times land to the amount of seven 
hundred and forty acres. All of this is now in the oil and gas belt in Han- 
cock county and of course exceedingly valuable land. This property was 
accumulated by honest dealing and hard and earnest toil. He was elected to 



342 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

the office of county commissioner in which he served two terms most ac- 
ceptably, and also served for a period of thirty-two years as justice of the 
peace of his township. During his active life he was connected with every 
enterprise that was meant to advance the interests of education and religion 
in his township and county, and left a memory to be revered by his descend- 
ants. In 1828 he married Margaret Lafferty, who bore him ten children: 
Mary A., Isaac, the subject of this sketch, John W., Elizabeth, Dr. A. L., 
Rachel B., Sarah, David, Edward B., and a younger one now deceased. The 
father of this family died in 1863, his wife surviving him many years and 
passing away in 1896. The grandfather of our subject was Henry Davis, 
who married Margaret Craig, and by whom he had seven children. After her 
death, which occurred early in life, he married for his second wife Betsey 
Hammond, who was the mother of five children. Henry Davis came to Han- 
cock county in 1850. He w^as a man of sterling character, and during his 
life here was revered for his many noble qualities. 

Isaac Davis, whose name heads this article, was born in Marion town- 
ship, Hancock county, in 1837. The Davis family is of Welsh descent, and 
our subject shows many of the noble traits of that strain of the Anglo-Saxon 
race. He has tried to follow in the footsteps of his honored father, both 
as a business man and as a loyal citizen. He has never aspired to office, being 
of a retired and quiet disposition, but he is found at all times loyal to his 
county and to his country. He is the owner of six hundred acres of land, on 
which there are forty wells of oil and gas. He has held some of the minor 
offices of his township, more for the purpose of accommodation for his fel- 
low citizens than from the fact that he cared for public life. He served a 
term or two as justice of the peace. In addition to his farm he has a seed 
and wool warehouse in Findlay which he has operated for the last seventeen 
years. He was married in i860 to Miss Caroline Gifford and the children 
of this union are: Howard V., deceased; William, Florence, David C, 
George W., Gertrude and Henry. Mrs. Caroline Davis was born in this 
county in 1840, on the farm Avhere she now resides. 

WILLIAM FISHER. 

William Fisher, now a farmer of Cass township, Hancock county, is a 
member of that noble band of men who in the dark days of the Civil war 
offered their lives in defense of the Union, and he presents the remarkable 
experience of having been an inmate of the noted rebel prison, Andersonville, 
and escaped with his life. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 343 

He was born at Wittenberg, Germany, October 3, 1840, and is a son of 
John and Frederica (Staley) Fisher. They reared their family in the old coun- 
try, and in 1857 crossed the ocean to make their homes in this land of the 
free. They located in Cass township, purchasing a farm of eighty acres 
partially improved, which property is now in the hands of one of their sons, 
Philip. The family are members of the Lutheran church. In his native 
country John Fisher \\as a prominent man and held an office somewhat sim- 
ilar to that of sheriff in our county. This office he administered for fifteen 
years, with satisfaction to the government of William L His family con- 
sisted of seven children, four of whom are now residents of the county. The 
father died in 1872 and his wife six years previously. 

William Fisher was a sturdy lad of seventeen years and possessed of a 
good education when he crossed the sea with his parents. He arrived at a 
most opportune time to engage in one of the greatest struggles for freedom 
that has ever been noted in history. He was full of the fire and vigor of 
youth and so delighted was he with his surroundings and so elated over the 
prospects of becoming a citizen of the greatest nation on the earth, that at 
the first boom of the cannon he offered himself a willing sacrifice upon the altar 
of his adopted country. He ser'ved the nation well and loyally for three 
long years as a member of Company B, Fifty-seventh Regiment, Ohio Vol- 
unteer Infantry, participating in many severe and bloody battles. Among 
these W'Cre Pittsburg Landing, siege of Vicksburg, the picturesque charge at 
Missionary Ridge, and on the Atlanta campaign. In this campaign he was 
taken prisoner and for three months experienced the horrors of Andersonville 
prison. He was finally exchanged and then discharged from the service. He 
enrolled in 1861 and was discharged in 1865, and was one of the very best 
of General William T. Sherman's fighting men. In these days of peace he 
looks back with great satisfaction on this period of his life. On returning from 
the war he was united in marriage to Miss Matilda, daughter of Henry 
Camps, one of Hancock county's old pioneer families. The union was blessed 
with nine children : Henry, Philip, Kate, Ellen, William, Scott, Lizzie, Nora 
and David. The mother was born in Hancock county in 1845. Mr. Fisher 
purchased his present farm soon after his marriage and has since resided there- 
on. It was very largely virgin soil, and it has required an immense amount of 
hard labor to bring it to its present productive state. He first built a rude 
log house, but as prosperity come to him, he erected a more comfortable resi- 
dence, and in later years modernized this commodious home so that he is 
now in the possession of one of the most comfortable rural homes in the 
county. He cultivates a farm of one hundred and ninety-four acres with 



344 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

great success. The chief characteristic of Mr. pisher is his love for hard 
work, one of his maxims being that honest toil hurts no man. He is a good 
neighbor, loyal citizen and worthy Christian gentleman who unites many 
excellent Cj[ualities of heart and mind. 

ELIPHES WANAMAKER. 

The gentleman above named is one of the well-to-do men of Findlay, 
where he enjoys high standing in financial circles and the business world 
generally. He is an example of the class, often met with in this free coun- 
try, who begin life with few advantages, but by skill, prudence and industry 
achieve great results for themselves. They also disprove the cry, occasionally 
heard, that there is no longer any opportunity for young men, owing to the 
great accumulation of capital in a few harjds and the tendency to consolida- 
tion. On the contrary, the opportunities are here in abundance, and they are 
of many different kinds, all that is necessary being the right kind of men to 
take advantage of them. And Eliphes Wanamaker is one of this kind, who 
found his opportunity early in life and so utilized it that before reaching 
middle life he had become a man of wealth and influence. The name sug- 
gests Pennsylvania, in which it has long been a familiar one and belonged 
to some notable people who have made it well known throughout the Union. 
Peter Wanamaker, grandfather of our subject, lived and died in the old 
Keystone state. His son, Lewis Wanamaker, was born in Westmoreland 
county in i§25, followed farming all his life and passed away at his old 
Pennsylvania home in 1897. On this farm in Westmoreland county, Penn- 
«;ylvania, in 1849, was born his son, Eliphes Wanamaker, and there he re- 
ceived his early training and education. When sixteen years of age he 
began casting around for employment and decided to learn the carpenter's 
trade, but after two years in this occupation concluded that he could find 
something better. Young as he was, he had already noticed the promise of 
great fortunes held out by the oil industry and he determined to turn his 
attention in this direction. Making his way to Venango county, one of the 
centers in the oil field, he engaged as a tool dresser with a view to learning that 
line of business, which offered especial inducements to skillful mechanics at 
that time. "One thing leads on to another," as the old proverb has it, and 
by the time he was twenty-one Mr. Wanamaker was hard at work as a driller 
of oil wells. This, however, was only a step in the direction toward which 
his ambition led, and after drilling for others about four years, he com- 
menced contracting for oil wells on his ov;n account, which continued to be 





^^:^^^^^^^<^^ 




CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 345 

his regular business from that time on. In 1885 he transferred his scene of 
operations to Hancock county, Ohio, and from that year has been a perman- 
ent resident of Findlay. As the result of his skillful management, good 
judgment of property and \\isdom in the handling of his resources, Mr. 
Wanamaker can now show an abundance of this world's goods and ranks as 
one of the "solid" men of the city. 

In 1872, at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, he \vas united in marriage with 
Miss Vina C, daughter of Jacob Mainhart, and this union has resulted in 
the birth of one daughter, Miss Verna V., who remains at home with her 
parents. Mr. \Vanamaker's political atliliations have always been Demo- 
cratic, though he has neither sought nor cared for office of any kind. His 
fraternal connections are with the Odd Fellows and encampment and lodge 
No. 85, Knights of Pythias. His religious beliefs are in line with those of 
the Lutheran church, of which he has been an adherent for some vears. 



THOMAS F. GILLESPIE. 

There could be no more fitting tribute to an ex-soldier than to make him 
a justice of the peace. Mr. Gillespie, upon whom has been conferred that honor, 
is descended from Revolutionary stock, and though all the signs of war have 
long since disappeared the strain of fearlessness and courage in the Gillespie 
family has not weakened in any way. 

William Gillespie, the great-grandfather of our subject, was a soldier of 
the war of Independence and had a son Thomas, for whom the sub j ect of this 
sketch was named. The latter's father was the Reverend John Gillespie, born 
in 1826 and died in Defiance county, Ohio, at about sixty-eight years of age. 

Thomas F. Gillespie's career has been long and useful. He was born on 
a farm in Allen county in 1847, and there lived until he was fourteen years 
old, when his parents moved to Putnam county. On January 6, 1863, when 
he was but fifteen and one-half years of age, he enlisted in the Seventh Inde- 
pendent Company of Ohio Sharpshooters, attached to the Tenth Regiment, 
Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Army of Tennessee, and which company acted as 
body guard to General Rosecrans. Young Gillespie went as a private and 
served eighteen months, wlien he was transferred to the Fourteenth United 
States Regulars (Infantry) and served until he was mustered out, which 
took place at the mouth of the Columbia river, on the Pacific coast, January 
6, 1866. Mr. Gillespie was at the battle of Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, 
Weldon Railroad, Virginia, between Petersburg and Richmond, at which 



346 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

latter place he was severely wounded in the left hand, and was obliged to be 
away from his regiment until April, 1865. 

On receiving his discharge he went to Putnam county and farmed for a 
year, when he decided to go to Defiance, where he learned cabinet making, and 
remained three years working at his trade. He then moved to Lima, Ohio, 
and for three years was employed in the car works of the Cincinnati, Hamil- 
ton & Dayton Railroad. He afterwards lived in Paulding county two years, 
working at the carpenter's trade, and moved from there to Dupont, where he 
established himself in the undertaking and cabinet-making business, in which 
he continued for three years. He moved back to Paulding where he farmed 
until 1894, when he moved to Findlay. In 1900 he was elected justice of the 
peace, he having previously served in that capacity at Dupont. He has held 
this office since his first election. 

Our subject was first married in 1867 to Emma L. Boutelle, who died in 
1873, leaving four children, as follows: Charles A.; Albert L. ; Guilford L. ; 
and Jennie, wife of Charles H. Terry. i\Ir. Gillespie was again married, in 
1878 to Emma C. Pease, and they have fi\e children: Nettie: Leona, widovv^ 
of Harry Farquhar ; Cloyd ; Phoebe L. and Myrtle E. 

As a loyal patriot Air. Gillespie is a member of G. A. R., Stdker Post, 
No. 54, and also of the Union Veterans. His fraternal associations are with 
the Masons and Knights of Pythias. He is a strong Republican of the old 
school, and is an active member of the Church of God of Findlay. 

JESSE SHILLING. 

The eminent position which Hancock county lias attained as a leading 
one in tlie state is in a large measure due to the class of citizens which make up 
so large a proportion of her agricultural population. Among those who 
have succeeded and become substantial pillars of the county through their own 
well directed and intelligent efforts is Jesse Shilling, who has owned property 
here for many years. He was born in Mahoning county, Ohio, on the 12th of 
November, 1830. His father, Adam Shilling, was a native of Germany, but 
when fourteen years of age he left his little home across the sea and came 
to the United States, locating with his mother in Pennsylvania. Subse- 
quently he took up his abode in Mahoning county, Ohio, and in Burlington 
township, that county, he was united in marriage to Elizabeth Mown. She 
was born in Mahoning county, but was reared in Trumbull county, Ohio. In 
1852 Mr. and Mrs. Shilling came to Hancock county, taking up their abode 
on a farm in Orange township, two and a half miles northeast of our subject's 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 347 

present homestead, and there these worthy old pioneers spent the remainder 
of their days, the father passing away at the age of seventy-four years, while 
the mother reached the seventy-fifth milestone on the journey of life. They 
were the parents of ten children, nine of whom grew to years of maturity. 
Adam Shilling, the father, was a worthy member of the Lutheran Reformed 
church, and in his political affiliations was a Republican. 

Jesse Shilling, the third child and eldest son in order of birth in the 
above family, accompanied his parents on their removal to Hancock county in 
1852, and prior to his removal to this locality he w^as engaged in agricul- 
tural pursuits in the county of his nativity. Farming has been his life-long 
occupation, and in 1850 he located on his present valuable homestead in 
Orange township, but at the time of purchase the land was still in its primi- 
tive condition. He has cleared it of its dense growth of timber^ has placed 
his fields under a fine state of cultivation, and his place of one hundred and 
twenty acres is now one of the valuable ones of his community. 

The marriage of Mr. Shilling w-as celebrated in 1856, when Elizabeth 
Main became his wife. She, too, is a native of the old Buckeye state, for her 
birth occurred in Delaware county, Ohio, and by her marriage she has become 
the mother of one daughter, Lucinda Jane, who is now the wife of George 
Kinnell, of Bluff ton, Ohio. A life-long supporter of Republican principles, 
Mr. Shilling cast his first presidential vote for Lincoln in i860, and has 
ever since been a stalwart supporter of the grand old party. He is well and 
favorably known throughout Hancock county, where he has hosts of friends. 

PERRY VAN HORN. 

The Van Horns, as the name would seem to indicate, were originally 
from Holland, but emigrated at an early period in the history of the United 
States and found lodgment in Pennsylvania. In 1833 Charles and Sarah 
Van Horn joined the tide of migration to Ohio and located in Hancock 
county, where they entered one hundred and sixty acres of land in Amanda 
township and subsequently increased their holdings to the extent of four 
hundred additional acres. Along wnth them from the east came their son 
Robert, who w^as born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, in 1829, and was five 
years of age at the time of the removal. As Robert grew up he proved to be 
an obedient and industrious boy, eventually became prosperous and rose to 
a position of influence in his community. He married Evaline Frazer, a na- 
tive of Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, wdio came with her parents to Ohio 
about the time of the arrival of the Van Horns. This lady died in 1884, 



34« CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY' 

but Robert Van Horn is still living in Hancock county, at the age of seventy-' 
three years. Of their ten children nine grew to maturity and eight survive 
as substantial citizens of different communities. 

Among this number is Perry Van Horn, who was born on his father's 
farm in Jackson township, Hancock county, Ohio, July 2, 1862. He was 
reared on the old homestead, received the usual training, and when of suit- 
able age began to farm on his own account. In 1884 he made his first pur- 
chase of real estate, consisting of eighty acres, to which he later joined an ad- 
ditional one hundred and eighty-two and a half acres. By a subsequent sale 
of sixty-two and a half acres his estate was reduced to the two hundred acres 
which constitute his home place in Jackson township. His farm is well im- 
proved, lacking nothing to make it a desirable country seat, and is devoted 
to general agriculture, including the usual amount and variety of stock. Mr. 
Van Horn contents himself with raising the standard crops -and animals, does 
not attempt anything in the line of "fancy farming" and the general result of 
his operations has been a steady growth toward prosperity. 

In 1884 Mr. Van Horn married Gertrude Smith, who was born in 
Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, in 1865, her parents being William and 
Mary Smith. The result of this union is an only son, named Grant, born in 
1886 and now a student in the school at Findlay. 

W. C. DAMAN. 



stock raising in Big Lick township, Hancock county, is the above named 
gentleman, who successfully operates a farm of one hundred and twenty-five 
acres. The family of which he is an honored and worthy representative are 
of German ancestry. His father, John C. Daman, and his mother, Katherine 
Westerman, were natives of the fatherland, where they were married and 
subsequently emigrated to this country in 1830. Here they located in the old 
Buckeye state, chosing Columbiana county as their home and where they re- 
mained up to 1839, that being the date of their removal to Big Lick township. 
This was in the earlier history of the county, when much of the farming land 
was in its primitive state, and the carving out of a farm meant long hours 
of unremitting toil. They purchased forty acres to which they added until 
it was increased to sixty-five acres, and passed their lives in its cultivation. It 
is worthy to note that John C. Daman was a man who met every responsibility 
in life with credit. In the old country he had been a soldier in the German 
army, and had served out his time in his country's service. He took part in 



CENTEfJNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 349 

many of the campaigns conducted by the German army, and carried upon his 
body the scars of wounds received, and showed the marks of the hardships 
through, which he had passed in the various campaigns. So severe had been 
the service that his constitution became impaired, and the latter part of his Hfe 
■was passed in very indifferent health. He died in 1848. The wife lived for 
a number of years after, her death having occurred in 1873. The family con- 
sisted of eight children, only two of whom are now living, Justice Daman, 
residing now in the county of Gratiot, Michigan, and W. C. Daman, of whom 
we are pleased to wTite. This gentleman Avas born in Columbiana county, 
Ohio, in 1836, the date being December 31. He passed the period of his 
boyhood in the grinding toil of farm life in that early day, but it had for one 
of its rewards the construction of a physical frame that has carried him suc- 
cessfully through his subsequent career. Arriving at manhood he resolved 
to devote his life to the pursuit of agriculture, and purchasing the farm upon 
which he now resides, in 1858, he began the construction of his home. He 
has at various times added to the original purchase, both in land and im- 
provements, and is at present in possession of a farm which is looked upon 
as a model one in Hancock county. Marriage came to Mr. Daman in 1864, 
his first wife having been Angeline Measel, by whom he had two children : 
Flora and Warren W. The second lady's maiden name was Ellen McEwen, 
and two of her children are now living, Celestia and Charles W., while one is 
deceased. By his third w^ife, whose maiden name was Lou Sleymaker, he be- 
came the father of a son named Frank. The present wife of Mr. Daman 
was Mrs. Phoebe Edwards, whom he married in 1885. To this union has 
been born Bessie, deceased, Edith, Frances E., and John D. 

Mr. and Mrs. Daman are highly respected residents of the township, 
and are active and prominent members of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
in which organization he is a trustee and steward. They are numbered among 
Hancock county's best citizens, and as such the author of this volume present 
them to its readers. 

Dr. JOSEPH R. McLEOD. 

Findlay has always kept pace with the foremost towns of Ohio in profes- 
sional as well as business affairs, and that it has been selected as the home of 
some of the best medical men of the state is but an evidence that the people 
of Findlay demand a high class of services from this branch of scientific men. 

Dr. Joseph McLeod is of Scotch ancestry. His grandfather, Captain John 
McLeod, was born in London, England, in 1780, but came to America in his 



3 so CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

early manhood, seeking" a home in the new coimtiy. He was for a time cap- 
tain of a volunteer company in Philadelphia, during the war of 1812. Our 
subject's father was also John McLeod, who was born in Philadelphia, Penn- 
sylvania, in 1809. He came to Ohio in his early manhood, where he lived 
until 1865, when he removed to Missouri, where he lived to a good old age 
and died in 1898. Dr. McLeod was united in marriage in 1862 in Findlay to 
]\Iary E., daughter of Captain Samuel Howard, and they now have three 
children living, as follows: Charles D., born July 25, 1863, who followed 
his father's profession and practices medicine at Chatfield, this state; Samuel 
Howard, born in 1870, wdio lives at Findlay and is in the employ of the United 
States postal authorities; Bessie B., who is the wife of William P. Wisley, 
of Findlay, the president of the People's Ice and Coal Company. 

The subject's life and experiences form an interesting chapter in the 
records of Findlay and are here given. He was born on a farm in Delaware 
county, Ohio, in 1833, though he was taken by his parents when one year old 
to Amanda township, in Hancock county. He lived for many years on a farm 
and attended the country schools, completing this part of his education at 
the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware. He returned to Flancock county 
and taught school from the age of seventeen to twenty-nine years, having 
begun the study of medicine at home. The study of law attracted him 
equally, and he was admitted to the bar in 1863, having g-raduated in law in 
that year from the law department of the Cincinnati College. He located in 
Findlay in 1863 and practiced there for one year, at the end of which time 
his country claimed him, and he enlisted in Company I, One Hundred and 
Sixty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, as a private. He was at once made cor- 
poral and served in that capacity four months. On being mustered out he re- 
turned to Findlay, though he did not elect to take up his residence there at 
that time. In the spring of 1865 he went to Shelby ville, Missouri, to try new 
fields, where he went into the practice of law. In 1876, desiring to further 
pursue the course of medical study he went to Keokuk, Iowa, to attend two 
courses at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, from which college he 
received his diploma in 1877. Believing Hancock county to be a good field in 
which to locate, he returned to the county which had so long been his home 
and located at Mt. Cory, where he practiced for three years. He later moved 
to Benton Ridge in the same county, where he lived and practiced his pro- 
fession for eight years, and on the first of January, 1889, came to Findlay, 
where he has since lived and built up an enviable practice. 

Dr. McLeod is of that strong order of Masons which has a large chap- 
ter in Findlay; his other fraternal association is with the Odd Fellows. His 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 351 

wide study of the law was recognized at the time he resided in Shelbyville in 
a substantial manner, he having held the office of presiding" judge of the 
county court for six years during his residence there. He gave up the prac- 
tice of law on account of ill health and took up the practice of medicine. 

GEORGE H. SMITH. 

When the tide of emigration was setting in strongly from Germany to 
the United States about the middle of the last century, Ohio was fortunate in 
securing many of the best of that very desirable population. They settled in 
great numbers at Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and other cities of the state 
whose rapid growth was largely due to this diffusion of German blood, ac- 
companied by the thrift and industry so characteristic of that race. Many of 
vhese people, however, went inland and settled on farms where they applied 
those qualities of economy and good judgment \\hich never fail to bring suc- 
cess to their possessors in whatever pursuit they may engage. Among those 
who came from the fatherland at the period mentioned were Henry and Al- 
bertina (Tagler) Smith, who arrived in Seneca county, Ohio, about 1854, 
and located at Fostoria. They were poor in this world's goods, bringing with 
them little more than was suiticient to pay expenses, but to use an American 
expression, they soon "caught on" as farmers in a small way on rented land. 
Henry Smith was practical in his methods, strict in his notions of right and 
wrong, a good judge of men, and withal a hard working and painstaking- 
man. These cjualities enabled him to save a little money, and when, in 1868, 
he removed to Hancock county he was able to purchase forty acres of timber 
land in Pleasant township. This he cleared and cultivated with his usual 
energy, subsequently sold to advantage and bought a larger farm in Blanch- 
ard township, consisting of eighty acres. Here he spent the remainder of 
his days, improving his property and constantly adding to its value by his 
thorough system of farming and when the final summons came was able to 
leave something to his children. He and his good wife were members of 
the Lutheran church, exemplary in their conduct, upright in their lives and 
respected by all as neighbors and friends. They passed away within two 
years of each other, the wife dying in 1896 and the husband in 1898. The 
family consisted of seven children, of whom six are still living : Sarah, Will- 
iam, Eliza, George H., John and Delia. 

George H. Smith, with whom this biography is principally concerned, 
was bom in Seneca county, Ohio, October 9, 1862, and was consequently 
about six years old when his parents removed to Pleasant township. He 



352 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

grew up and received his primary education after the settlement in Hancock 
county, and was trained by his father to work on the farm. In the course of 
time he became the owner of the homestead in Blanchard township, where as 
boy and man he has resided since 1872. This place he has managed with the 
same industry and care that characterized his excellent father, and as a gen- 
eral farmer and stockraiser he has held his own with others of his class in 
that part of the county. As a plain, unpretentious man of good habits and 
moral life he enjoys and fully deserves the confidence of his fellow-citizens. 

In 1887 Mr. Smith was united in marriage with Miss Delia, daughter 
of John and Sarah Fry, which union has proven congenial and pleasant in 
every way. Their children, four in number, are thus recorded in the family 
register: Charles F., born May 8, 1889; Grace M., born March 17, 1891 ; 
Olive N., born October 10, 1898; and Mabel R., born May 30, 1901. Mrs. 
Smith is a native of Blanchard township, her birth having occurred August 
29, 1867, and is a devoted member of the United -Brethren church, of which 
her husband is a trustee and has long been a leader and earnest worker. 

THOMAS M. MITCHELL. 

One of the most important industries developed in Ohio in recent years 
is that connected with the working of the oil district, and Thomas M. Mitchell 
is a well known representative of this line of activity, being an oil producer 
of Findlay, Ohio. He is numbered among Hancock county's native sons, for 
liis birth occurred in Portage township, in the year 1869, his parents being 
Jacob and Emiline (Cusac) Mitchell, the former a successful farmer still 
living in the county. The paternal grandfather was George Mitchell, who 
died in 1892 at the age of ninety-one years. Thomas M. Mitchell was edu- 
cated in his native township and remained there until 1900, when he took 
up his abode in Findlay. Three years previously, however, he had aband- 
oned farming, which had hitherto been his occupation, and turned his at- 
tention to oil producing, buying a lease of thirteen and now he and his brother 
own thirty oil wells in Hancock county, many of which are excellent pro- 
ducers. The firm is enjoying a good business, the oil which they place upon 
the market bringing to them a substantial annual income. 

In the year 1898, in Portage township, Mr. Mitchell was united in mar- 
riage to Christina Moorhead, a daughter of W. M. Moorhead, and their 
home has been blessed with one interesting daughter, Nora Mabel. Mrs. 
Mitchell's father was a son of Josiah and Sarah Moorhead, and a success- 
ful farmer of Hancock countv. Both Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell have many 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 353 

warm friends throughout this portion of the state and are held in high re- 
gard. In his pohtical views Mr. MitcheU is a Democrat, and while he keeps 
well informed on the issues of the day and believes firmly in the principles 
of his party, he has never sought or desired office, preferring to give his at- 
tention to his business affairs, which are so capably conducted that his labors 
have already brought to him a'good return. • 

PHILIPP SCHWINN. 

That sturdy element of our population which has come from Germany 
has long been well represented in Ohio, and has been greatly instrumental in 
the development of leading interests of the commonwealth. One of the best 
known sons of the fatherland in Hancock county is Philipp Schwinn, a prom- 
inent agriculturist of Union township. His birth occurred in Germany, 
and in that countiy his parents, Philipp and Margaret Schwinn, also 
had their nativity. In 1842 they bade farewell to their native land and sailed 
for the United States, taking up their abode in Union township, Hancock 
county, Ohio, where they purchased a farm of eighty acres. At the time of 
the purchase only forty acres of the place had been cleared, but with the 
assistance of his sons the father was soon able to clear and improve the entire 
tract, and this became one of the most productive farms of the locality. In 
his native country Mr. Schwinn was a baker, and also took much pleasure in 
raising the material from which this commodity is made. He was success- 
ful in his business affairs, but his prosperity was the result of earnest 
and persistent effort in the line of honorable and manly dealing. The chil- 
dren born unto Mr. and Mrs. Schwinn were seven in number, six of whom 
grew to years of maturity, and four are now residents of Hancock county. 
The mother died ere the removal of the family to America, passing away in 
Germany in 1842, and the father survived until 1883, when he, too, passed 
into eternal rest. 

Philipp Schwinn, the subject of this memoir, received his early mental 
training in the district schools of Union township, Hancock county, and after 
his school days were over and before reaching his majority he made the long 
and arduous journey to the Golden state, believing that he might there obtain 
the necessary means with which to purchase a farm. Five years were spent 
on the Pacific slope, during one year of which time he worked in the gold mines, 
while for the following four he was engaged in mercantile pursuits. His 
hopes of obtaining wealth in the far off state of California were fully real- 
ized, for after an absence of onlv five vears he was able to return to Hancock 



354 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

count}^ with twenty-live hundred dollars. Arriving" here in 1867, he soon 
purchased his present farm, which was then wild and unimproved, but he 
went to work with a determination to succeed and soon his swampy wilder- 
ness was converted into one of the most fertile and productive farms of the 
locality. The homestead consists of one hundred acres, where he is engaged 
in general farming, and all of the improvements on this valuable tract stand 
as monuments to his thrift and excellent business ability. 

In 1883 occurred the marraige of Mr. Schwinn and Miss Mamie Wild. 
The lady was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the 25th of June, 1854, 
and is a daughter of Adam and Barbara Wild. By her marriage she has 
become the mother of four children, — Adam, Maiy, William and Elmer. 
Both Mr. and IMrs. Schwinn are worthy members of the Lutheran church, 
and in his fraternal relations the former is affiliated with the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows, holding membership in Rawson Lodge, in wdiich he 
is a past grand. He is a man of strong mentality, of splendid business ability 
and is frank and g'enial in manner. His business associates find him reliable 
and trustworth}', and he is an enterprising and successful farmer. He has 
seven producing oil wells on his farm. 

JACOB NAU. 

For solid qualities of character and intrinsic worth no foreign element 
exceeds that which comes to us from the fatherland. We here present the 
name of one of the former subjects of Emperor William, but who now is 
giving allegiance to the institutions of our beloved republic. Mr. Jacob 
Nau is an enterprising farmer, who resides in Washington township, where 
he tills most successfully eighty acres of the most valuable land in Hancock 
county. The birth of Mr. Nau occurred in Germany on the 5th of June, 
1847, 1^^ being the son of John and Regina (Wertz) Nau. Both of these 
parents were natives of the province of Wurtemberg, Germany, wdiere the 
family had for centuries made its impress upon society for good. They 
emigrated to this country in 1853, and coming immediately to the Buckeye 
state, purchased forty acres of land in Seneca county. They resided upon 
this land a number of years, but eventually sold it and removed to Wash- 
ington township, Hancock county, where they lived out the remainder of 
their lives, respected residents of their immediate community. The father 
died here in 1896, his wife following in 1898. They had six children, two of 
whom died in the fatherland, and one in this country. Those now living- 
are Jacob, the subject of this review, and Elizabeth and Dortha. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 355 

Jacob Nau was but six years of age when brought to this country, and 
received in the schools of Seneca county a fair education, to which he has 
added extensively, being of an inquiring and observant disposition. Arriving 
at years of maturity he apprenticed himself to the carpenter's trade, at which 
he worked with much skill and profit up to the time of his marriage. This 
event occurred in 1871, the lady being Theresa, the daughter of G. W. and 
Ellen Burgess. This union resulted in the birth of six children: Ellen, 
born February 24, 1873; J. W., March i, 1875; Mertie, October 15, 1877; 
Blanche, September 4, 1880; Bertha, August 13, 1885; and Roy, who was 
born on the 20th of October, i8go. The mother of this family, whose par- 
ents were from Virginia, was born in Putnam county, Ohio, November 26, 
:f854. Mr. and Mrs. Nau are prominent and active members of the United 
Brethren church, of which organization Mr. Nau is a trustee. A few moments 
conversation with Mr. and Mrs. Nau disclose the fact that they are of more 
than average intelligence, being able to converse very freely on the general 
topics of the day. He is proud to call himself a self-made man, having 
carved out in a large measure his own fortune. He began his career as a 
poor boy, but by the application of that German thrift which is proverbial 
he forged ahead, and others were willing that he should do so, for he ^^'as 
made of the right material to win. His success was not earned at the ex- 
pense of his associates. He bought his present farm in 1882, and has since 
continued to operate it successfully. In the public life of the community, he 
has borne his share of the unpaid labor, having held the office of township 
trustee for a number of terms with credit to himself. Mr. and Mrs. Nau 
deserve and receive the good wishes of a very large circle of friends and 
acquaintances. 

JOHN D. ANDERSON. 

In a record of those who have been prominently identified with the de- 
velopment and progress of Hancock county it is imperative that definite con- 
sideration be granted to the subject of this review, for not only is he a prom- 
inent representative of the agricultural interests of this favored section, but 
has the distinction of being one of the native sons of the county, with whose 
fortunes he has been identified throughout his entire life. Born on the farm 
on which he now resides, he first opened his eyes to the light of day on the 
14th of February, 1843. His father, Andrew W. Anderson, was a native of 
York county, Pennsylvania, where he was also reared, and subsequently he 
made his home in Columbiana county five years, on the expiration of which 



356 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

period, in 1840, he came to Hancock county. On his arrival here he took 
up his abode on eighty acres of timber land in Orange township, which in 
time he cleared and improved, and on this old homestead his death occurred 
at the age of fifty-nine years. His wife, ]\Iary Anderson, was also born and 
reared in York county, Pennsylvania, and slie lived to the good old age of 
ninety-one years, dying on the anniversary of her birth. Two children came 
to bless the home of this worthy couple, the sister of our subject being Mary 
Jane, the wife of Scott Bentley, of Allen county, Ohio. 

John D. Anderson, the elder of the two children, received his education 
in the public schools of Orange township, where he also attended a select 
school for a time. In 1862, when nineteen years of age, he entered the school 
room as an instructor, and for four terms was a successful teacher, finally 
abandoning that occupation to take up the duties of farm work 
on the old parental homestead. He is the owner of two hundred and 
eighty acres of rich and fertile land, all of which is in Orange township, and 
sixty-two acres which lie in Allen county, this state. On his farm 
he has nine productive oil wells, making it one of the valuable places of the 
locality. Although his business interests have been extensive Mr. Ander- 
son has found time to devote to the public welfare, and on the Republican 
ticket he was elected to the office of county commissioner in the fall of 1895, 
entering upon the duties of that office on the ist of January, 1896. He was 
subsequently re-elected to that position and also filled a vacancy of eight and 
a half months, his incumbency therein covering a period of six years and 
eight and one-half months. He has held many of the township offices, and 
has ever proved himself an upright and reliable official. 

In 1869 Mr. Anderson was united in marriage to Miss Eliza Mont- 
gomery, but this union was subsequently sundered by the hand of death, the 
wife being summoned into eternal rest after becoming the mother of two 
children, — John A. and Eliza, the latter being the wafe of A. C. Spangler. 
Mr. Anderson's second marriage was to Emma Ruggly, who has borne him 
four children, — Jessie E., Mabel M., Hellen E. and Harry E. 

WILLIAM MADSUSE. 

Frederic and Sophia Madsuse were natives of Germany and spent the 
early part of their lives in that country. In 1850 they decided to leave their 
native land and came to America, where they took up their residence in Fos- 
toria, Ohio, and lived there for some years engaged in various vocations. 
In 1863 they bought their first farm, consisting of eighty acres in Pleasant 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 357 

township, Hancock county; this land was ah-eady partly cleared and they re- 
sided there some years; they then sold their first eighty and purchased an- 
other in the same township. Like so many natives of the fatherland, Fred- 
ric Madsuse became one of this country's most loyal citizens ; he was a good 
fanner, a kind husband; his political beliefs were those of the Democratic 
party, in religion he was a Lutheran. He died on May 6, 1888, and his 
wife on August 6, 1886. Their family consisted of five children, of whom 
tw^o are living, Sophia and William. 

William Madsuse, who is the subject of this brief sketch, w^as born in 
North Germany on the 23d of October, 1847, and was thus only three years 
of age when his parents crossed the Atlantic. He prepared himself for his 
life of future usefulness in attending the district schools of Hancock county; 
when very young he decided that his future calling should be that of a farmer, 
and he has since amply justified that decision. His first purchase of real 
estate w^as made in the year of his father's death, and it consisted of the 
eighty acres on which he now resides ; to this in 1895 he added another eighty, 
thus making a fine tract of farming land, which he tills with much success and 
which rewards him well for his labor. 

In 1.87 1 Mr. Madsuse was married to Mary Liebnet, who was born in 
Blanchard township, Hancock county, in 1852. Her parents were natives of 
Switzerland and came to this country about 1849. They bought one hun- 
dred and fourteen acres of land in Blanchard township, where they made 
their home up to the time of their deaths, his occurring in 1866, hers in 
1891 ; their family consisted of eight children, of whom six are living. Mr. 
and Mrs. Madsuse became the parents of seven children : Frederick, born in 
1874; Anna, in 1875; Emma, in 1877; Charles, in 1880; Harley, in 1882; 
Laura, in 1886; and Ray, in 1893. The family are members of the Lutheran 
church and are iiighly respected in their neighborhood. 

JACOB KIBLER. 

Jacob Kibler, one of the representative and prominent farmers of Eagle 
tow^nship, Hancock county, is a native of Ohio, his birth having occurred 
eight miles east of Wooster in Wayne county, on the 17th of January, 1834. 
In 1837 he was brought to Hancock county by his parents, George and Eme- 
line (Hays) Kibler, who w^ere married in Wayne county. The father was 
a native of Virginia and the mother of Arkansas, she being born in that 
state while her father was stationed there as an American ofticer in the war 
of 1 81 2. Our subject's paternal grandfather served all through the Revolu- 



358 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

tionary war. Both he and his wife were born in the Old Dominion of Ger- 
man ancestry and the latter lived to be over one hundred years of age. 

On coming to Hancock county in 1837 George Kibler had to cut his own 
road for a distance of ten miles from Findlay, and owing to high water and 
other obstacles he was three days in making the journey. He settled near 
Arlington, in Madison township, where he entered land and at once turned 
his attention to its improvement and cultivation. His brother John, who 
had accompanied him on his removal to this county, also entered a tract of 
government land, where he lived until his death, dying of cholera during the 
epidemic of that dread disease. The father of our subject died at the age of 
forty-five years when Jacob was only fourteen years of age. His other chil- 
dren were Luther, who died in Hancock county at the age of thirty. Mary 
Ann became the wife of Adam Wagner and died at the age of fifty years, 
the result of an accident. Isabel married Nels Westcott and died at the age 
of thirty-five. Washington, who now lives in Colfax county, Nebraska, 
served through the Civil war and was captured at Harper's Ferry after being- 
wounded. After his exchange he rejoined his command and remained at the 
front until hostilities ceased. After the death of her first husband the mother 
of these children married Thomas Wheeler, who took charge of the home 
farm but spent his last days in retirement from labor in Arlington, where both 
he and his wife died, both being about seventy-three years of age at the time 
of their deaths. By this union there were also five children : Holmes, now 
a resident of Arlington; Emeline, the widow of John Tombaugh and a resi- 
dent of Findlay; Millie, wife of Noah Hindle, of Arlington; Joseph, a farmer 
of Madison township; and Milton, who died in childhood. 

After the death of his father Jacob Kibler worked for three years by the 
month as a farm hand, giving his mother his wages to aid in the support of 
the family. At that time he only received from five to seven dollars per month 
for chopping wood and farm work. From the age of seventeen until twenty 
he managed to save all of his earnings by living very economically, it being 
his intention to purchase forty acres of land. His first purchase, however, 
consisted of an eighty acre tract and he .earned the money to make his first 
payment of thirty dollars by clearing ten acres of land. This tract cost him 
three hundred dollars and was a heavily timbered place situated east of Ar- 
lington, in Madison township. 

Mr. Kibler was married February 23, 1854, to Miss Rebecca McClel- 
land, who was then eighteen years of age and whom he had known from 
childhood. Her parents were David. and Rebecca (Mercer) McClelland, of 
Eagle township, and came to Hancock county in the fall of 1836 and settled 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 359 

on land in that township, where they continued to make their home until late 
in life, but their last days were spent in Findlay. There the father died when 
over eighty years of age, and the mother at the age of seventy-nine. By 
trade Mr. JMcClelland was a shoemaker and while engaged in farming he 
followed that occupation through the winter months. On coming to this 
county he was accompanied by his father, Robert McClelland, and his broth- 
ers, John, Thomas, James, xVlexander and George, all of whom took up land. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Kibler were born seven children who reached years 
of maturity : Emza Jane is now the Avife of Theodore Powell, a farmer of 
Eagle township; Charlotte is the wafe of Frank Steinman, also of Eagle 
township; Flora is the widow of Philip Wilch and is now teaching school in 
Arlington ; Etta is the wife of Robert Baughman, of Van Buren township. 
Thomas, who now carries on the home farm for his father, married Jennie 
Creighton, who died leaving one son, Waldo, and for his second wife he 
married Amanda Hays, by v/hom he has three children : Florence, Mabel 
and Gertrude. He is a well known breeder of Hereford cattle, having one of 
the best herds in the county, and his stock always commands the highest 
market price. Raleigh, an attorney at law, was educated at Ada, Ohio, and 
is now engaged in practice at Findlay. Benton is also a graduate of the 
college at Ada and is now a druggist of Alliance, Ohio. All the children have 
at some time engaged in teaching school and all have been given better educa- 
tional advantages than the home schools afforded. The youngest passed the 
county teachers' examination at the age of fifteen years with only home ad- 
vantages. His own education being limited, Mr. Kibler has provided his 
children with the best opportunities along that line so as to fit them for any 
position in life which they might be called upon to fill. He has assisted each 
as they have needed it and all are now doing well, being a credit to their par- 
ents. He now has sixteen grandchildren and three great-grandshildren. 

]\Ir. and Mrs. Kibler began their married life amid primitive surround- 
ings, he having built a cabin on rented land and furnished it with the simplest 
of furniture. Later he sold his eighty acre tract and about four 3'ears after 
his marriage bought the old homestead of his mother. Within a few years 
this was all paid for and he built thereon a good house and made many other 
useful improvements. After residing upon that place for four or five years 
he bought his present farm of eighty acres in Eagle township in 1864, only 
forty acres of which had been cleared at that time, while a cabin constituted 
the only improvement, there being no ditches or tiling upon the place. This 
property cost him twenty-six hundred dollars and in buying it he went fif- 
teen hundred dollars in debt, but this was all paid off at the end of five years. 



56o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

He cleared and tiled the land, at the same time placing it under excellent 
cultivation, and in 1874 he replaced his cabin home by his present substantial 
brick residence, so that he now has one of the best improved and most desir- 
able farms in the locality. He bought more land but has since sold a tract of 
forty acres, and now has one hundred and twenty acres of rich and arable 
land. Starting out in life with scarcely any advantages and no capital, he 
deserves great credit for the success he has achieved in life, his prosperity 
being due entirely to his own industry, perseverance and good management. 
Politically Mr. Kibler is a stanch Democrat and has served as a dele- 
gate to the county conventions of his party. He and his wife are members 
of the English Lutheran church in Eagle township, in which he has served 
for years in an official capacity, and he has given liberally to its support. 
Public-spirited and progressive, he never withholds his aid from any enter- 
prise calculated to advance the moral, social or educational interests of his 
community, -and well does he deserve mention in the history of his adopted 
county. 

RICHARD M. WATSON. 

This gentleman is a representative of one of the pioneer families of 
Hancock county, Ohio. Richard Watson, who is now deceased, was the or- 
iginal pioneer. He was a native of Maryland, but prior to 1831 he removed 
to Fairfield county, Ohio, in which county he remained up to that period when 
he settled. in Liberty township, Hancock county. Llere he purchased one 
hundred acres of land, and lived out a long life of usefulness, proving him- 
self a practical farmer, and a good and loyal citizen. During the war of 
t8i2 he entered the army and fought for his country with zeal and enthu- 
siasm which only such a cause could call forth. His wife was Lucinda 
Waters, and to them were born nine children, the only surviving child being 
the subject of this sketch, R. M. Watson. Richard Watson was what is 
frequently denominated a self-made man, having begun life at the very bot- 
tom round of the ladder. He succeeded before his death in accumulating 
quite a competence, all of which was secured by honest and sincere toil. He 
died in 1852, his wife surviving him until 1870. 

Richard M. Watson was born in Liberty township in 1837. He picked 
up what education was possible in the country school at that early day, and 
passed his entire early life on the home farm. At the time of the breaking- 
out of the Civil war he showed his loyalty to his country, taking part in the 



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CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 361 

a member of Company G, One Hundred and Eighteenth Regiment. Ohio 
Vohmteer Infantry, and participated in the battles of Mossy Creek, Straw- 
berry Plains, and various engagements of the noted and bloody Georgia cam- 
paign, which in reality ended the war in that section of the south. For meritor- 
ious service he was promoted to the sergeancy of his company and in July, 1865, 
received an honorable discharge, having made a record as a gallant defender 
of his country. On his return to civil life, he bought fifty-five acres of land 
in Liberty township, to which he has since added at various times three hun- 
dred and forty-five more. On this farm he has both oil and gas wells. Air. 
Watson has held the office of director of the Hancock County Infirmary for 
three terms. He is a man of exceedingly, clean character, and has led an 
upright life among his associates in the county, being known particular!)- 
for his square dealing among his host of friends. In December, 1867, lie 
was married to Miss Mary, daughter of Andrew and Emily Harner, by whom 
he had four children : John W. ; Lucy, deceased; Grace; and Carl, who is now 
a practicing physician in Cleveland, Ohio. The other son, John, is an oil 
operator, in this county. Mrs. Mary Watson was born in Wayne county, 
Ohio, in 1845, Her father was a native of Chester county, Pennsylvania, 
and died in Wayne county, Ohio, m 1849.. Her mother was born in Wayne 
county, Ohio, and died in Stark county, in 1855. I" politics Mr. Watson is 
a Democrat and his fraternal connections are with Stoker Post of the Grand 
Army of the Republic at Findlay. 

WILLIAM F. GLAUNER. 

The gentleman whose honored name heads this sketch is one of the well- 
to-do farmers of Marion township, Hancock county, and resides on a farm of 
one hundred and sixty acres, on which there is abundance of oil and gas, and 
from which source his own light and heat is supplied. The place of his na- 
tivity was Fairfield county, Ohio, and the date December 6, 1844. With his 
parents he removed to this county at the tender age of four years, and has 
since that time continued to be a resident here. His father, Michael Glauner, 
purchased in Marion township one hundred and ten acres of land, though 
at the time a man of very limited means, but by close application to business 
and practicing uprightness of life and a reasonable degree of economy, he be- 
came a wealthy, useful and influential man in his township. During his life- 
time he was honored by being selected to hold many offices of trust. He 
served a number of years as trustee and justice of the peace, the latter office 
especially being administered with great care and justice. In his religious life 



362 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL LIISTORY 

life be was a member of tbe Lutberan cbiircb from bis boybood. His wife, 
Sarab (Martens) Glaiiner, was born in Fairfield county, Obio, and died in 
Hancock county, in 1900, at about seven ty-tive years of age. Tbeir family 
consisted of eigbt cbildren, seven of wbom are now living. Tbe fatber 
died in 1887. 

William F. Glauner was tbe eldest of tbe family, and received bis early 
training in tbe public scbools in Marion townsbip. He has always followed 
agricultural pursuits and tbrougb persistent effort is able at this time to com- 
mand a very nice competence. He has been living on bis present farm since 
1875. He is a worthy and active member of tbe Lutberan church, has served 
bis townsbip as trustee and is now acting in tbe capacity of justice of tbe 
peace, an office which he is administering with much satisfaction to his con- 
stituents. He has tbe entire confidence of bis fellow citizens, and is in every 
WRY worthy of the trust which they repose in him. In politics Mr. Glauner 
is a Democrat. 

On February 9. 1871, Air. Glauner married Miss Martha, daughter of 
James B. Thomas, whose family history will be found elsewhere in this 
volume. To this union were Ijorn six children : An infant that died un- 
named : Franklin B., deceased; Lloyd P., Edna A., Frederick E., and Harry 
T. Tbe Thomas family removed to this county in 1838 and Mrs. Glauner 
was born here December 11, 1843. Her fatber located in what was form- 
erly Findlay township on a farm of one hundred and three acres, which be 
received from tbe government. This property he improved and resided on 
up to tbe time of his death in 1877. His wife died in 1863. The Thomas 
family have always stood high in tbe social circles of tbe community. 

CLARK \V. DUKES. 

No name has been lon.ger or better known in Hancock county than tbat 
of Dukes, which has 1:)een associated with what is now Blancbard township 
from a time anterior to its organization into a body politic. Tbe family 
originated in Virginia, and as early as 1828 two brothers of tbe name, John 
and Richard, came to Hancock county and took up land. Richard married 
Mary Blue, a native of Ohio of German descent, and settled on a farm of 
ninety-six acres of wild woodland in tbe ])resent limits of Blancbard town,- 
ship. Richard Dukes became a successful farmer and a man of influence 
among the pioneer settlers. Tbe first meeting bouse in tbe county was 
erected on bis farm, being built of hewed logs with a cla]D-board roof. It 
was tbe headquarters for the pioneer preachers of the Methodist Episcopal 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 363 

church, of which Ricliard Dukes was an earnest memljcr, and most of the 
celebrated evangehsts of that day were heard from its rude pulpit. Richard 
]3ukes, who died in 1879. had a faniily of fourteen children, of whom nine 
grew to maturity and hgured influentially in the various callings of life. 
]^ewis Dukes, eldest of these children, was born in Franklin county, Ohio, 
November 30, 1827, and was brought by his parents to Hancock county 
when he was about one year old. Eventually he achieved notable success in 
agriculture, owning nearly two thousand acres of land and residing on a 
farm which was regarded as one of the finest in the state. April 9, 1848. 
he married Laura A. Spangler, by whom he has the following living children : 
Parlee C, a prominent farmer residing in Blanchard township; Elizabeth, 
Avife of Daniel Jackson, also a well known farmer of the county; Frances, 
wife of F. E. Ahvard, a farmer; Miles W., of Finlday; Clark W. and 
Robert B. 

Clark \\'. Dukes, next to the youngest of iiis- father's living children, 
was born in Hancock county, Ohio, May 14, 1862, and was educated in the 
schools of Blanchard township. In 1885 his father gaAC him a farm of one 
hundred and sixty acres in Blanchard township, to the cultivation and opera- 
tion of which he has since then devoted all his time. He is a general farmer 
and stock raiser and exhibits the natural talent for the business which distin- 
guished his father and others of the name, who have done so much for Han- 
cock county agriculture. 

In 1885 he was united in marriage with i\Iiss I>ucy. daughter of C. G. 
.and Elizabeth Moore, a native of Mercer county, where she w^as born in 
1868. The children resulting- from this union, six in number, are as follows: 
Carl A., ]\Ierrill L., Merritt L., Ura D. and two deceased. Owing to their 
long connection with the development of the county, their success as agri- 
culturists and their general merits as citizens, the Dukes, both of the older 
and younger generation, enjoy a standing second to no other family and 
they occupy positions of influence in their respective communities. 

MORRISON FIOSLER. 

That Hancock county can support so many retired farmers who are 
amply provided for old age, and who can spend their later lives in ease, speaks 
well for the kinds of farms to be found in it, and still better for the class of 
men who have brought this condition about. 

IMr. Hosier learned farming in the most practical way, having been 
reared on a farm. His education was gotten in the country schools, and 



364 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

ihough he now lives in Findlay, keeps up his interests in the country, and 
attends to his business affairs which are necessarily large. His success as 
a stock-raiser in connection with farming is unquestioned and he is looked on 
as an authority in all matters pertaining to agriculture. 

Our subject was born in Fostoria, Ohio, in 1847, though at the early 
age of two he came with his parents to Hancock county, where they settled 
on a farm in Washington township. Mr. Hosier was married on February 
27, 1868, in Washington township to Sarah E. Linhart, daughter of Philip 
Linhart, and by this union there were two children : Cora May died in 1892, 
at the age of twenty-eight ; she was the wife of William Henderson, and left 
two children: John Morrison and Frances Ruth. The other daughter is 
Eliza A., wife of Charles Henderson, and their two children are Goldie M. 
and Howard Wilson. 

Mr. Hosier gives his support to the Democratic party, and fraternizes 
with the Benevolent and- Protective Order of Elks of Findlay. 

BENJAMIN J. WISE. 

The above named is' a worthy member of the agricultural class in Han- 
cock county, residing in Marion township, on a farm of fifty acres. He is 
exceedingly well known throughout all this section of the country, from the 
fact that he was not only prominently identified with the agricultural element 
of this section, but for years previous had been connected with the ministry. 
He was born in Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, February 19, 1835, the son of 
Benjamin and Lydia Wise, both of whom were natives of the Keystone state. 
He in early life received all the advantages of the com.mon and select schools 
of his section, and so thoroughly fitted himself for the teacher's profssion that 
he followed that vocation most successfully for a number of years. He was 
thirty-five years a minister of the Gospel in the E'nited Brethren church, 
twelve of this number having been passed in the work exclusively, the balance 
of the period in the local ranks, though he has ofticiated frequently in the 
pulpit. Later in life Mr. Wise came under the influence of the teachers of the 
faith popularly known as the Christian Catholic church, Chicago, Illinois, 
to which organization he now devotes his religious activities. 

In July, 1870, he was joined in marriage to Miss Anna, daughter of 
Nicodemus B. and Margaret (Buckingham) Ingham, the former an agri- 
culturist, who was born in Ohio and died at the age of sixty-four years. He 
was the son of Necodenius Ingham, the oldest heir of a wealthy estate in 
England, where he was born. Seven children were the result of this union. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 365 

namely: Ah'in S., who married Ida V. Swank, and now resides in Carey, 
Wyandot county, Ohio; Elam, who married Emma L. Folk, and is hving 
in ]\farion township; Homer; Orpha, who married Charles A. Byal, and 
resides in Eagle towmship, this county; Virgil, who married Grace Aliller 
and resides in Carey, Ohio; Blanche and Clarence. The mother of this 
family was born in Putnam county. Ohio, on the 6th of September, 1847. 
This estimable lady had a fair training for school teaching, and in the ranks 
of the noble calling she served with much satisfaction to her patrons, and with 
great honor to herself, for a considerable period of years. The parents of 
Benjamin J. Wise removed from the Keystone state in 1842, and located in 
Marion township on a farm of one hundred and sixty acres. Mr. Wise was 
a practical and most successful farmer, and during his lifetime was a man of 
great influence in the community. He. in his earlier days, carried on a mer- 
cantile business, and finally abandoned it for the more free and less lucrative 
business of farming. He held some of the important offices in the township 
during his lifetime, having been assessor for a period of years. His family 
consisted of eleven children, eight of whom are now living: Fannie; Lovina; 
Benjamin J.; Isabelle, deceased; Israel, deceased; Mary; Sarah; Jane, de- 
ceased; Lydia ; Franklin and Dixon. After a long life of usefulness in the com- 
munity, the parents of this family died, the wife in March, 1885, and the 
father in 1890. Our subject's paternal grandfather was a fine cabinet-maker 
and farmer. He was a very exact man, always looking after the details 
of life, a Presbyterian and very devout. Our subject's grandfather on his 
mother's side, whose name w^as Corad Opp, was a successful farmer and a 
man of considerable influence in his day, being a zealous Presbyterian. 

NELSON POE. 

Nelson Poe, a retired farmer residing in Findlay, Ohio, is a representa- 
tive of one of the oldest families of which Ohio can boast; for from the 
time when the country had only a few scattered settlements, and most of 
these without government authority, when the vast stretches of fertile prairie 
and woodland lay untouched except by the futile and improvident scratch- 
ings of the Indian in his shiftless effort to produce his winter's grain, from 
that early period has the Peo family been represented among the hardy Ohio 
pioneers. 

Grandfather John Poe was a native of old Virginia and came, along with 
the thousands making for the great west, to Ohio about the year 1798, and 
there he lived to the advanced age of ninety-six years. He had taken part in 



366 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

the Revolutionary war, serving in the cavalry forces and had his horse shot 
which fell upon him and he was taken prisoner by the British. The horse, 
in falling, caught him on one of the legs and bound him. After being shot, 
the animal ran one Inindred yards before falling. His son, Jacob 
Poe, was also born in Virginia, in 1782, and when about sixteen years of 
age came with his father to Ross county, Ohio, and in 1822 removed to Han- 
cock county, where his long life as a tiller of the soil came to an end m 1856. 

Eighty years ago, on September 4, 1822, on Paint creek, Ross county, 
near Chillicothe, Ohio, was born Nelson Poe ; and in December of the same 
year he came with his parents to Hancock county, where the latter located on 
the farm in Liberty township, which now belongs to our subject. Here he 
lived until 1857, when he rented a farm in Findlay township, three miles north 
of Findlay, where he lived until i860; he then purchased and moved to a 
farm in Liberty township; in 1864 the old home place passed into his hands 
and he made that his home until November 15, 1888, when he retired and 
has since resided in Findlay. 

Mr. Poe was married in .Vugust, 1846, in Hancock county, to Alary, 
the step-daughter of John Lytle, and three children have been born to them. 
Philip Melancthon Poe was born March 5, 1847, and died February 13, 
1865; on October 16, 1864, he enlisted in Company B, Twenty-ninth Regi- 
ment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was with Sherman on his famous march to 
the sea, and died at Savannah of disease contracted in the service. Martin 
Luther Poe was born July 29, 1850, and died July 2t^, 1889. The third 
child, Annetta, is the wife of P. W. Ewing, of Findlay. Mr. Poe is a mem- 
ber of the Methodist church, and his political tendencies are toward the Pro- 
hibition party. 

WILLLAM W. ERNEST. 

Of the farmers of Washington township whose association with the 
public life of the community is such as to deserve recognition in this volume 
we find the above named gentleman. He resides on and operates a farm of 
one hundred and seventy acres. He is a native of the Keystone state, hav- 
ing been born in Perry county, September 27, 1846. His father's name was 
Frederick Ernest and his mother was Mary A. Hall, both of them having 
been natives of the same state and county. Frederick Ernest was a stone 
and brick mason, at which trade he labored for a number of years before 
abandoning it for agricultural pursuits. He with his family removed to 
Hancock county in 1849, where he located on forty acres of land, subsequently 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 367 

adding thirty. The most of this land was in its primitive wild state, and 
the first years were years of toil devoted to clearing, in which the subject of 
this sketch did his part. The father was a good, industrious man, who made 
many friends by his upright dealings. It is noted that he had been a soldier 
of the war of 1812. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
and by that congregation was very greatly esteemed. The family consisted 
of thirteen children, six of whom are now living: Samuel J., George K., 
William W., Mary E., F. J., and Isaac M. Frederick Ernest died in the 
year 1874, and his wife, Mary A., died in April, 1902. 

William W. Ernest has passed a lifetime in agricultural pursuits. He 
received the rather limited education of the pioneer days in Hancock county, 
but it was enough, together with that which he has added by observation 
and experience, to equip him for the duties of life. He purchased his first 
farm in 1880, and later added one hundred acres, all of which he devotes to 
general farming. He was united in marriage to Miss Emma, daughter of 
Jonathan and Margaret Adams, in 1874. To this happy union w^ere born 
two children : Rella M. and W. J. Mrs. Emma Ernest was born near Fos- 
toria, Hancock county, December 10, 1846. Mr. Ernest and his wife are con- 
sistent members of the United Brethren church, in which organization he 
is a trustee. He is an industrious and honored citizen, and is prominently 
identified with the active life of the community in which he resides, and in 
which he and Mrs. Ernest are highly esteemed citizens. In 1902 Mr. Ernest 
added to his one hundred and seventy acres twelve acres more, making in all 
a farm of one hundred and eighty-tw^o acres, which is devoted to general 
farming and stock-raising. 

DON C. HUGHES, M. D. 

We have here one of the younger members of the medical fraternity 
of Hancock county, Ohio, a gentleman who is a product of the city of Find- 
lay, having been born there February 17, 1870, and where he was reared 
and received his primary education. He graduated from the High school in 
Findlay in 1888, and immediately entered upon the study of civil engineer- 
ing, which he intended to adopt as a life profession. After eighteen months 
of the study he was forced to abandon that idea owing to an accident which 
incapacitated him from pursuing such an active life. He thereupon entered 
the office of Dr. F. W. Firmin in Findlay, and began the study of medicine. 
The school which he selected to complete his education was the College of 
Physicians and Surgeons at Baltimore, Maryland, where, after due time, he 



368 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

graduated in 1893. He then repaired to the city of Chicago, where he hung 
out his shingle and practiced for some eighteen months, when he located in 
his own city. This was in September, 1895, and he has continued to prac- 
tice here since that date. Dr. Hughes is keenly alive to the interests of his 
profession, keeping in touch with the medical thought of his section of the 
state. He is a member of the American Medical Association, of the Ohio 
State Medical Society, of the Northwestern Ohio Medical Society, and for 
the past five years has been secretary of the Hancock County Medical So- 
ciety. He is a young man of great promise in his chosen profession, and 
has already succeeded in building up a very creditable practice. The Doctor 
is a prominent and active Republican, the policies of which party he delights 
in furthering at every opportunity. Fraternally he affiliates with the popu- 
ular insurance organization known as the Modern Woodmen of America. 
Dr. Hughes was united in marriage December 31, 1898, to Mamie, the daugh- 
ter of John W. Dempsey, of New Albany, Pennsylvania. 

■ The chief points in the family history of Dr. Hughes may be summed 
up as follows. The first member of the family of which any authentic in- 
formation can be given was of his great-grandfather, William Hughes, who 
Avas a native of Pennsylvania, and at the time of the struggle for independ- 
ence took a prominent part in the cause of freedom. The next in line was our 
subject's grandfather, who was also a native of Pennsylvania and lived and 
died there. The father of Dr. Hughes was Leonidas H. Hughes, born in 
Pennsylvania in 1845. He married Eva Swapp and to them was born one 
child, Don C. He removed to Hancock county in 1858, and is now deputy 
internal revenue collector for the eighth district. At the time when his 
country needed his services, Mr. Hughes gladly went to the front, serving 
the entire period of the war as a private soldier in Company E, Fifty-ninth 
Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. While meeting a charge of the enemy 
at Chickamauga, he received a wound in the right knee, which incapacitated 
him for some time from participating in the service. 

Dr. Don C. Hughes is a figure in the medical and social life of his com- 
munity. He merits and receives the good wishes of a very large circle of 
friends. 

GABRIEL M. DREISBACH. 

This name suggests Germany and inquiry proves that the surmise is 
correct, as the family originated in that country, though the descendants 
have long been residents of the United States. The original emigrants and 
founders of the family in America were Martin and Eva HofTman Dreisbach, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 369 

who came across the ocean in 1746 and found a location in Lancaster county, 
Pennsylvania. Their son Martin, who was Ijorn in Berks county, Penn- 
sylvania, in 1764, and died in 1831, married Selina F. Bucks, a native of 
Sussex county, New Jersey, who died in Fairfield county, Ohio, in 1849. 
John Dreisbach, son of the last mentioned couple, was born in Buffalo Valley. 
Pennsylvania, June 5, 1789, entered the ministry of the Evangelical church 
at an early age and was one of the first ministers of that denomination in the 
United States. In 181 1 he married Catherine Eyer, who died in 1815, leav- 
ing two children, Salome and Elizabeth. Tn 1817 he married Fannie Eyer, 
sister of his first wife, and the children by this union were: Abraham E., 
Isaac E., Catherine, Sophia, Jacob B., Leah E., Martin E., Susannah E., 
John E., Fannie and Martha E. The father died August 20, 1877. Abra- 
ham E. Dreisbach, eldest son of the above mentioned children, was born in 
Union county, Pennsylvania, February 21, 181 8, and in 1840 was married 
to Mary A. Miesse of Fairfield county, Ohio. lie was ordained to the min- 
istry of the Evangelical church and devoted to the service of this denomina- 
tion the best part of his active life. The children of the marriage above 
recorded, ten in number, thus appear in the family register: Caroline M., 
John M.. Susan M., David M., Gabriel M., C. M., Abraham M., Mary A.. 
Benjamin M. and Daniel (twins). The last named is dead and of the other 
brothers, John M. and Abraham M. are ministers of the gospel. The mother 
of these children died February 9, 1857, and her husband's second wife was 
Elizabeth Strome, by whom there was no issue. Rev. Abraham E. Dreisbach, 
who did much good for the cause of religion and morality and remained in 
harness as long as strengdi lasted, ended his earthly career August 28. 1876. 
Gabriel M. Dreisbach, fifth of his children in order of birth, was born in 
Pickaway county. Ohio. March 30, 1848. He was taken in early life to 
Seneca county, where he Avas reared, educated and remained until he reached 
his majority. In the spring of 1869 he came to Hancock county and some 
time later made his first purchase of land, consisting* of fifty acres in Union 
township. This tract was increased by various purchases from time to time, 
but finally Mr. Dreisbach disposed of his entire holdings in L'nion and in 
1892 bought the farm of ninety-five acres in Blanchard township, which 
constitutes his present homestead. Oct. 26, 1869, he married Miss Mary 
A. Whisler, a native of Putnam county, Ohio, where she was born July 2, 
1853. The five children resulting from this union are: H. D., born in 
1871; Blanch L., born in 1873; Irvin W., born in 1875; Floretta, in 1878; 
and Edith A., in 1882. The family belongs to the Evangelical church, 



370 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

of ancestors, a number of whom, as previously shown, were ministers of this 
denomination. Mr. Dreisbach was recently elected treasurer of this township 
and at present is serving his second year in that office. In politics he is 
a Republican. 

H. D. Dreisbach, the oldest child, married Verna Whitmore of Fremont, 
Ohio. Blanch I. is now Airs. Rev. Green, and has three children, viz : Ethel, 
Oral and Mary C. Irvin W. married Ethel McLish and has one child, 
Francis Fern. Edith A. married Rev. O. J. Baker, of Delmore, Ohio. 

JOHN VAN SICKLE. 

In these times and in this country, where birth and social position have 
an inconsiderable influence on one's success in life, the man whom history 
most Ijonors is he who has started in life with little capital and has made his 
way to the top in spite of obstacles. John \\an Sickle of Pleasant township is 
a good example of this character of a man. The parents of this man were 
John and Elizabeth (Felters) Van Sickle. The former was a native of 
Pennsylvania, born in i8]2, and his ancestry is traceable to good Holland 
stock ; the latter was a native of Stark county, Ohio. They located in Blanch- 
ard township of this county in 1837, at first buying forty acres of land and 
later eighty acres more. In 1855 they sold this and removed to Pleasant 
township in 1856, where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres, but little 
of this was improved and he spent a good many years in bringing it under 
cultivation. Afterwards he sold this farm and l^ought one of eighty acres 
near McComb, upon which he lived until his death in 1885, in the month of 
!\Iarch. He was married three times, his first wife being Angeiine Hous- 
worth. who bore no children. His second wife was Elizabeth Felters, who 
was the mother of Thomas, deceased; David; Fsaac ; John, our subject; 
George, who died in the army ; Elizabeth ; Nancy ; Samantha and Servatus, 
By his third wife, Jane Brooks, he had Steven, William and Martha. His 
second wife, the mother of our subject, died on December 8. 1861. He was 
a strong, rugged man, of large build, above the average in intelligence, an 
inveterate hunter, and always provided well for his large family. He was 
the first man in his county to own and operate a threshing machine. He was 
a strong adherent of the principles of the Repuljlican party and a worthy citi- 
zen of his county. 

John Van Sickle. Jr., was born in Blanchard township, Hancock county, 
Ohio, in 1841, attended the district schools and completed his education in 
Findlay. After his school days were over he taught for several terms, but 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 37 ^ 

finding a life of confinement too great a strain he turned his attention to 
agriculture. He and his three brothers served in the Civil war; David was 
in the Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry; George enlisted in the same 
regiment after its reorganization ; Isaac was in the One Hundred and Thirty- 
second Ohio; and John served in Company L, First Heavy Artillery, Ohio 
Volunteers from August 8, 1864, to the end of the war. On his return from 
the army John bought his present farm. On March 16, 1868, he was united 
in marriage to Laura D. Davis, daughter of Alfred Davis, and born January 
5, 1843; two children were born: Irvin L., in 1871, and Ivy Dell, in 1879. 
who became the wife of B. B. Brumby. 

Mr. Van Sickle is a self-made man wlio began life with his hands and 
an earnest purpose as his capital, and by thrift and industry has accumu- 
lated considerable property. In 1879 he Imilt a commodious and comforta- 
ble brick house; besides his general farming he devotes some time to fruit 
growing. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, Post No. 
155; he and his wife are consistent meml:)ers of the Methodist church; and in 
all affairs concerning business or society in general he makes the influence 
of his upright character felt. 

A. J. OVERHOLT. 

This native of the Keystone state, who is by descent a German, lives 
in Washington township, where he resides on a farm of seventy-two acres 
devoted to general farming. H^s birth occurred in Westmoreland county, 
Pennsylvania, on January 24, 1848. His paternal sire was Abraham Over- 
holt, his mother's maiden name having been Barbara Sherick. The father 
was born in February, 1811, and the mother in tlie year 181 3. Mr. Overholt 
was ten years of age when his parents, in 1858, removed from Pennsylvania 
to Hancock county, Ohio. Here his father bought three hundred and twen- 
ty-five acres of virgin forest land, which was cleared during the lifetime of 
Abraham Overholt. This gentleman was a good and thrifty farmer, and was 
one of the heaviest payers of tax on real estate in his day in the county. Po- 
litically he affiliated with the Republican party, and religiously he was what 
was known as a Mennonite, iDut. not having a church organization nearby, 
he later joined the United Brethren churcli. liis death occurred January 
23, 1896, the wife having preceded him, dying December 5, 1891. The 
children, besides the subject of this sketch, were Anna, Christian M., Eliza- 
beth, Jacob, deceased, Joseph, Abraliam, Sara. Maria, Barbara and Mar- 
tin B. 



372 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

A. ]. Overholt was reared in Washington township, and early became 
familiar with the labors of the field and meadow, and assisted in the work 
of the home farm. His elementary edncation was acquired in the district 
school, which was later supplemented by further literary work in the schools 
of the city of Fostoria. His instincts and training fitted him peculiarly for 
the life of an agriculturist, and he chose that pursuit, in which he has been 
eminently successful. The first farm he owned w^as purchased in January, 
1880, and lies partly in Wood county. He lives, however, in Hancock county, 
wdiere he caused to be built the handsome brick structure in which he now 
resides, the other improvements being in consonance. The marriage of Mr. 
Overholt occurred January 14, 1869, the lady being Elmira, the daughter of 
Isaac and Susan Marietta. Two children have been born to this union : Earl 
L., May 2, 1870, and Mabel M. The son, after pursuing a four years' classi- 
cal course at Fostoria Academy, became a student of the Cincinnati Medical 
Academy, and after graduating at this institution enrolled at the Rush Medi- 
cal College in Chicago, Illinois, where he spent two years and obtained his de- 
gree. He is now a successful physician in his home town of Fostoria, where 
he enjoys a large and lucrative practice. The daughter Mabel is also a grad- 
uate of Fostoria high school, in which institution she is now a successful and 
popular instructor. Mr. Overholt has always taken an exceedingly active part 
in the public life of his county. He gives his every eft'ort to the advancement 
of the interests of the Republican party, by whose suft'rages he is at the pres- 
ent time serving as county commissioner, to which office he was elected in 
1902. He has also served in the more minor but not less responsible ofiice of 
trustee of his township. He and his family are consistent members of the 
United Brethren church, in which organization he has been for years a trus- 
tee. They are honored for their many good qualities of heart and mind, 
and well deserv^e representation in a history devoted to the rapresentative fam- 
ilies of Hancock county. 

FREDERICK A. HOLLIGER. 

Many Swiss compatriots have found a home in America, where they have 
succeeded in building up fortunes and in winning the respect of their fellow 
citizens. The subject of this sketch, however, was but five years old when 
he came to America, but he looks on it as his mother country and has served 
it faithfully in war as well as in peace. 

Mr. Holliger's father, Nicholas Holliger, was born in Switzerland in 
1 82 1, and came to America in 1850, locating in Uhrichsville, Ohio. It was 
there that Mr. Holliger lived and was educated, his parents afterwards moving 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 3/3 

to a farm. He enlisted in September, 1863, in Company 1, One Hundred 
and Twelfth Regiment, Ohio V^olunteer Cavalry, as a private, and served 
until the close of the war, when he was mustered out at Nashville, Tennes- 
see, in November, 1865. He was in the following battles: Mt. Sterling, 
Kentucky, Cynthiana, Kentucky, the first fight at Salt vi lie, V'irginia, where 
he was badly wounded in the right thigh and captured. He was also in many 
minor engagements. He was sent to the Emory Henry hospital, fifteen miles 
from Saltville, Virginia, and there held three weeks. He was then sent to 
Richmond, V^irginia, and paroled and exchanged at City Point. From there he 
was taken to the hospital at Annapolis, Maryland, where he remained until 
December, 1864, and was gi\'en a furlough of thirty days home. At the ex- 
piration of his furlough he reported at Camp Chase, Ohio, and rejoined his 
regiment at Richmond, Kentucky, his wound still being a running sore. In 
spite of this he went with General Stoneman in co-operation with Sherman 
on his march to the sea, and was in the fight at Salisbury, North Carolina, 
where they released about three thousand Federal prisoners and came so 
near to capturing Jefferson Davis. 

/\fter being mustered out of service at Nashville, Mr. Holliger returned 
to Ohio, going to Columbus, where he received his discharge and returned 
to his home in Tuscarawas county. He remained there for some time, farming 
a little, and working in a grist mill and in the coal mines. In 1879 he went 
to Troy, Ohio, for a year and later to Piqua, Ohio, continuing in the sewing 
machine business in which he had engaged in Troy. In 1887 he left the sew- 
ing machine business to start into the grocery business, which later he 
merged into a confectionery jobbing business. In 1887 he sold out and came 
to Findlay, and went into the wholesale confectionery and cigar business, 
which he now continues, the members of the firm being F. A., H. L., C. C. 
Holliger and C. F. Eckhardt. 

Mr. Holliger was first married in 1869 to Maiy A. Lehn, who died in 
1880, leaving three children as follows: Harry L. ; Charles C. and Mary 
Maud, wife of C. F. Eckhardt. Mr. Holliger married again in 1882, his 
second wife being Mary A. McWilliams; there have been no children by this 
union. A brother of Mr. Holliger also served as a private the Civil war, 
enlisting in Company B, Fifty-first Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He 
w^as captured at Somerset, Kentucky, but was not held long, being soon 
paroled. 

The subject of this sketch belongs to the Knights of Pythias, Independ- 
ent Order of Odd Fellows, and Stoker Post, No. 54, Grand Army of the 
Republic. 



374 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

EPHRALM TROUT. 

For many years this gentleman, now deceased, was one of the leading 
citizens of Allen township, Hancock county. He was the son of John and 
Eleanor Trout, who, with their family removed from Perry county to the 
village of Van Buren, Hancock county, in 1828. The father entered one 
hundred and sixty acres of land from the government, part of which original 
purchase is now owned by Allen Dorsey, of Van Buren. This land was soon 
brought under a good state of cultivation. Mr. John Trout is remembered 
as having been one of the principal movers in the matter of laying out the 
town of Van Buren. He was a thorough business man as well as a good 
practical farmer. His death occurred early in life. His family consisted of 
Ephraim, George, Philip, John E., Eliza, Ella and Cornelius. 

Ephraim Trout was born in Perry county, Ohio, November 24, 181 7. 
He was, therefore, only eleven years old when his parents came to Hancock 
county, Ohio. Having been reared on a farm and educated in the common 
schools of the township, he naturally took to agricultural pursuits and fol- 
lowed in the footprints of his father. He passed his life as a resident of 
Allen township, was prominent in public affairs, ranked among the best farm- 
ers, and served in many of the local offices. His farm consisted of a quarter 
section, upon which he lived until his death, which occurred October 18, 
1900. He twice entered the state of matrimony. His first wife was Sarah 
E. Shafer, whom he married April 25, 1839, and who died in October, 1871, 
leaving seven children: John, Mary E., Amanda, Hiram (deceased), Caro- 
line (deceased), Philip and Sarah E. April 6, 1873, Mr. Trout married Miss 
Isabelle J., daughter of Daniel and Mai->' (Hymer) Warner, whose children 
Vvcre. Eliza M., born February 20, 1874; William D., September 4, 1875; 
Mollie F., April 9, 1879 (deceased) ; Edward G., December 7, 1880; and Ros- 
coe L., September 9, 1889. Of these children, Eliza married W. Mickey, 
\vhom she bore two daughters. ]Martha B., and Florence E. William D. 
married Clara B. McCullough, and they have two children, Roy E. and Clyde 
E. Mrs. Isabelle Trout was born in .\llen township, November 17, 1842, 
and is the owner of real estate in her own right, upon wdiich are three pro- 
during oil wells. Her father, Daniel Warner, was born in Dutchess county, 
New York state, in 1799, and her mother in Philadelphia in 1801, coming 
to Ohio in 181 5. They were among the very earliest pioneers in the county 
of Wayne, Daniel being the first white boy in what is now Wooster, Ohio, 
and his brother Alanson the first white child born in the same place. The 
Warners removed to this county about 1830, where they located in what is 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 375 

now Portage township. >\lr. Warner is remembered as being- a man of great 
activity, buying and selHng ibft'erent parcels of real estate, which he improved 
while he held them. He died in 1880, in Portage township, and his wife in 
August, 1865. Only two of their eight children are living: Daniel Warner 
and J\Irs. Isabelle Trout. The latter is a member of the United Brethren 
church, and the family is esteemed for having been honorably and prom- 
inently associated with the building up of the institutions of Hancock county. 

JOHN A. SUTTOX. 

This is an honored name in the business circles of Hancock county, Ohio, 
its possessor being at the present time auditor of the county. He is one of 
the products of this utilitarian age when every man may be the architect of 
his own fortune. If ]\lr. Sutton ever reaches the highest office in the gift 
of the American people, he may attribute it to the fact that he was shrewd 
enough in his early life to add Lincoln's accomplishment to his repertoire, 
(hat of a railsplitter, and later that other almost necessary qualification, an 
experience as a printer in a country newspaper office. Mr. Sutton has always 
been exceedingly active in the political circles of his county and state. He 
is a Republican of the stahvart kind, and has always held himself ready 
for service in any position that would advance the interests of the grand 
old party. Born in 1856, on the 28th day of November, on a farm in Alorgan 
county, Ohio, he there passed the period of his early boyhood, and in the 
year 1864 removed with his parents to Trenton, Missouri. Plere he passed 
two years of his life, and then, his mother ha\-ing- died in the meantime, he 
returned with his father to the old home in ^lorgan county. On the 
farm he remained until 1873, when he came to Deshler, Ohio, where he re- 
mained for a year, engaging in the arduous labor of getting out railroad ties, 
logs and stave blocks. Back ag-ain to Morgan county and Noble county he 
went, where he continued in the laborious labor of farm life up to the year 
1878, when in the fall he came to Hancock county, locating on a farm in 
Blanchard township. He passed but a year on this farm when, in 1879, he 
came to Findlay, where he entered the office of the "Jeffersonian" as print- 
•"r's devil, from which position he has worked up through the grades until he 
is at the present time associate editor of that paper. His labors with this 
paper have not been continuous, he having passed a period in North Balti- 
more, Wood county, Ohio, where he founded, in 1884, the N'orth Baltimore 
"Beacon." a Republican weekly, which he continued to run with great suc- 
cess for a period of two years. During his residence in W^ood county he was 



376 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

elected clerk of Henry township, which was the beginning of his public career. 
He served until 1886, wdien he resigned the office, sold out his paper and 
returned to Findlay to accept the position of associate editor of the "Jeffer- 
sonian." This position he still holds. In this city he has been quite active 
in the public life of the community from 1893 to 1897, being a member of 
the library board, \\hich he resigned to become a member of the city election 
board. In this position he served one year. Prior to leaving Findlay to 
engage in the newspaper business he had served a period as supervisor of 
elections of Hancock county, having been appointed by the secretary of state 
in I goo. This office he resigned to accept the nomination on the Republican 
ticket for county auditor of Hancock county, to which office he was 
elected after a very stirring campaign. For a period of twenty years Mr. 
Sutton has been continuously connected with the local machinery of the Re- 
publican party, serving on the central and executive committees most of that 
time.. His previous experience was an earnest of what might be expected 
in his conduct of the auditor's office. Fraternally he affiliates with the Ma- 
sonic fraternity, and favors the form of worship of the Methodist Episco- 
pal church. His domestic life began in Findlay in 1884, when he was mar- 
ried to Mary M. Mungen, who presides over his home w-ith dignified grace. 
He is the father of two interesting daughters, Mary Lucille and Dorothy 
Anna. 

L. S. WOODS, M. D. 

This gentleman, who is the oldest resident physician of Rawson, is a 
native of the county and the state, also descended from Ohioans born and 
bred on the side of both father and mother. Such a pedigree w^ould seem to 
entitle Dr. Woods to be designated as a "genuine Buckeye," a heritage to 
\\hich it is generally regarded as a high honor to be born. But the Doctor 
is not one of those who would rest his claims for distinction on the fact that 
he "was born in Ohio," preferring to show merit of a different kind, and be- 
fore this biography is concluded the reader will find reason for believing that 
the subject thereof needs no factitious aid in advertising his standing as a pro- 
fessional man. As stated, both his parents were natives of Ohio, the father, 
James Woods, hailing from Columbiana and his mother, Hannah Hatcher, 
claiming origin in Stark county. They were children of pioneer settlers, the 
first born November 16, ]8io, and the latter July 5, 181 5, and were conse- 
quently familiar with the scenes characteristic of Ohio in its formative period 
as a state. James Woods and Hannah Hatcher became acquainted early in 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 177 

their lives, were married April ii, 1833, and a few years later decided tO' 
locate permanently in Hancock county. They arrived September 20, 1837, 
and first settled in Delaware township, but three years afterward bought forty 
acres of improved land in Madison township, on which they constructed their 
home and ever after resided there. John Woods was one of the first trustees 
of the new township of Madison, which was formed out of a part of Delaware, 
and he became a man of influence in that locality. His original investment in 
land was subsequently increased by the purchase of sixty additional acres, 
and the tract was converted into a comfortable and productive homestead. 
Mr. Woods is now ninety-two years old, and a fine sample of the sturdy race 
whose energy and industry placed Ohio in the front rank of the great com- 
monwealths of the central valley. Mrs. Hannah Woods, the beloved mother 
of an affectionate family, passed away in peace with all the world on the 
23d of March, 1894. Of the eight children of this worthy couple the five now 
living are: Enos H., Samantha A., Dr. Thomas E., Nathan B., route agent 
on the Northern Pacific Railroad for the last twenty years, and the Doctor, 
whose life work is now to be unfolded in outline. 

L. S. Woods, youngest of his father's children, was born on the old 
family homestead in Madison township, Hancock county, Ohio, November 
3, 1853. After finishing the usual course in the common schools he entered 
the office of his elder brother, Dr. Thomas E. Woods, at Rawson, for the 
purpose of studying medicine, and remained three years under that efficient 
preceptorship. The ground Avork being thus laid, he next attended the Col- 
lege of Physicians and Surgeons at Baltimore, and obtained his medical de- 
gree from that famous institution on March 17, 1887. Without much delay 
he opened an office at Rawson, and has since practiced continuously at that 
place, being now the oldest resident physician of the village. He belongs to 
what is called the allopathic or regular school of physicians, and is regarded 
as one of the most skillful as well as best informed of the county's medical 
practitioners. He is a member of the Northwestern Ohio and the Hancock 
County Medical Societies, and takes an active interest in their meetings and 
discussions. January i, 1884, Dr. Woods was united in marriage with Miss 
Inez A., daughter of George J. and Caroline Kelly. The father of Mrs. Woods, 
wdio is one of the oldest citizens of Rawson and furnished most of the land 
for the town site when the place was laid out, is noticed at some length in an- 
other part of this volume. Dr. and Mrs. Woods have three children : Leo 
Mozelle, born April 15, 1888; Scott K. and Hannah K., twins, born Septem- 
ber 24, 1894. Dr. Woods is quite prominent in Masonic circles, being wor- 
shipful master of Lodge No. 418, and a member of the chapter and command- 



378 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

ery at Findlay. He has also been long connected with the Independent Order 
of Odd Fello'vvs. of which fraternity he is past grand. In politics. Dr. Woods 
is an uncompromising Republican as his father has always been since the for- 
mation of that party. His home was a station for the "Underground Rail- 
road" before the war. It is hardly necessary to add that the families of Woods 
and Kelly, being among the oldest, are also among the most respected in 
their localities and form part of the best social circles. 

SYLVANUS \\. TROUT. 

The annals of Hancock county, to be complete, must have written into 
them the deeds of heroism accomplished by her soldier element, and it is 
with pleasure that notice is taken of one of that honorable class of citizens, 
who is at the present time a well-to-do farmer of Allen township, where he 
is engaged extensively in stock raising on a well tilled farm of one hundred 
and twenty acres. He was not of military age at the time v^hen the war 
cloud gathered over our nation, but just as soon as he could prevail upon the 
mustering officer to accept him, he entered the army and gallantly did his part 
to maintain unbroken the constitution written in the blood of our fathers. 
In 1863 he became a private in Company I, of the Twenty-first Regiment, 
Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He participated with this regiment in a number 
of well contested battles in the middle west, such as Buzzard's Roost, Resaca, 
the Atlanta campaign, Franklin, Nashville. He was present at fourteen of 
the principal battles of the war, and in a number of smaller skrimishes. He 
bravely did his duty during these years of service, and on July 29. 1865, re- 
ceived an honorable discharge. 

Sylvanus W. Trout was born on the farm on which he now resides on 
the 7th of February, 1845. He was the son of George W. and Delilah 
(Heller) Trout. He received his early training and education in his nati\e 
township, and has always followed agricultural pursuits. He is a practical 
farmer and enjoys the full confidence of his fellow citizens. His married 
life began in 1869, when he led to the altar Miss Clarissa, daughter of An- 
thony and Lucy Huntington, to whom one son, Milton F., was born in 1870. 
This boy's mother died in 1872, and after a western trip to California, which 
lasted nearly two years, Mr. Trout returned home, and in 1876 was mar- 
ried to Rachel S., daughter of Abraham and Susan Kempher. The follow- 
ing children have been born to this marriage, namely: Carrie K. ; Charles 
E. ; Merrill W. ; Fannie B. ; Susan A., deceased; Nellie J.; and Floyd, also 
deceased. The mother of these children is a native of Portage township. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 379 

where she was born in 1849, and where her parents removed from West- 
moreland county, Pennsylvania, some eleven years previous. 

George W. Trout, father of our subject, removed to this county with his 
father, John Trout, in 1829, when but a lad. John Trout entered a farm now 
owned by Allen Dorsey in Van Buren, then containing one hundred and 
sixty acres of timber land in its natural state. In conjunction with his farm- 
ing, John Trout kept a hotel in Van Buren, known as the Trout House, he 
exploiting that fact by the rather unique sign of a trout. These two enter- 
prises he carried on up to his death. He was a gallant defender- of the Union 
against British aggression in 181 2, a good citizen generally and reared a 
family of five children. When George W. Trout came of age he entered 
from the government eighty acres of land, but afterward exchanged his in- 
terest in the homestead for eighty acres which his brother James owned, 
and joined him on the west. This property is now owned by our subject. 
George W. Trout was a practical farmer, a good neighbor, a loyal citizen, 
and a loving husband and father. He made the best possible use of his time, 
valuing it as so much capital. He was a member of the United Brethren 
church, in political affiliations a Republican and fraternized with the Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows. His death, which was mourned by a large 
circle of friends and acquaintances, occurred in October, 1882, the mother 
of his children surviving him some thirteen years. They reared a family 
of seven children, six of whom grew to maturity, and five of whom are now 
living. Sylvanus W. Trout has passed his entire life in Hancock county, and 
his many accjuaintances know him to be a man of sterling worth, reliable in 
business, and trustworthy in all life's relations. 

He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows ; Stoker Post, 
No. 54, Grand Army of the Republic, and the United Brethren church. 
Mrs. Trout is a member of the Christian church. 

MILTON E. TROUT. 

This gentleman is a young and enterprising farmer residing in Allen 
township, on a farm of seventy-two acres of well tilled land. He was born 
in July, 1870, and is the son of Sylvanus W. and Lucy (Huntington) Trout. 
Milton Trout is a worthy representative of a worthy family, and is dis- 
tinguished himself, as time passes, in agricultural pursuits. His entire life, 
with the exception of two years, has been passed on the farm he now occu- 
pies and owns. He is in the oil belt of Hancock county, and has a producing 
well on his farm. He married Irma. daughter of Almond E., and Theresa 



38o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

S. (Woodward) Hadsall, a native of Lima, Ohio, where she was born Feb- 
ruary 6, 1875. They have four children: Samuel A., born January 6, 1896; 
Inez L., July 3, 1897; Theresa M., January 31, 1899; ^^^d Edna L., March 
20, 1 901. Mrs. Trout's father was a native of Hancock county and her 
mother of Erie county, Ohio. By his first marriage Mr. Hadsall had seven 
children and five by the last. 

GEORGE W. SNYDER. 

Among the representative citizens of Jackson township none are more 
deserving of mention in this volume than George W. Snyder, who for many 
years has been connected with the agricultural interests of Hancock county. 
Although he has met with reverses in life he has steadily overcome all the 
obstacles in the path to success, and is now one of the well-to-do and substan- 
tial citizens of his community. 

A native of Hancock county, Mr. Snyder was born in Findlay township, 
April 20, 1854, his parents being Samuel and Catherine (Spangler) Snyder, 
who were natives of Perry and Fairfield counties, respectively, and were 
married in the latter county. A year later, in 1833, the father came to Han- 
cock county, at which time there were only thirteen buildings in the city of 
Findlay. He entered a. tract of land in Findlay township, two and a half 
miles northeast of the city, on the Lake Erie & Western Railroad. 
It was covered with a heavy growth of timber and there were but few 
settlers in that locality at that time. Mr. Snyder worked at his trade 
of cabinet making most of the time, devoting his evenings and what other 
rime he could spare to the improvement and cultivation of his land until he 
had a good farm of one hundred and sixty acres. Upon that place he con- 
tinued to make his home until called to his final rest on the 4th of October, 
T884, at the age of seventy-two years, and his wife died May 6, 1888, at 
the age of seventy-three. Politically he was first a Whig and later a Repub- 
lican, and was always very outspoken and decided in his views on any ques- 
tion. He was very active in religious work, being one of the original mem- 
bers of the English Lutheran church of Findlay and assisted in building the 
first church of that denomination at that place, in which he served in an offi- 
cial capacity throughout life. He lived peaceably with all men, never being 
engaged in a lawsuit, and was noted for his generosity, giving liberally to 
all enterprises calculated to improve the moral, social or material welfare of 
his community. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY l^i 

In the family of this worthy man were ten children, of whom one died 
in infancy, those reaching maturity being Solomon, a resident of Big Lick 
township; Emanuel, of iVrcadia; William, a ranchman of Kansas; George W., 
of this review; Rebecca, wife of Henry Ebersole, of Washington township, 
this county; Emma, wife of William P. Small, of Eindlay, all of whom are 
still living, while Isabella, the eldest of the family, married J. G. Orth, of 
Arcadia, and died at the age of sixty-two years; Louisa married Michael 
Snyder and died in Arcadia some years ago; and Mary wedded Samuel Sny- 
der, of Putnam county, Ohio, and died when a young woman. 

George W. Snyder, of this review, is the youngest of the family, and 
remained at home until twenty-five years of age, having charge of the farm 
during the last years of his residence there. In 1879 he bought the place 
and continued its operation until 1888, when he rented it and removed to 
Findlay, where he engaged in the livery business for four years with satis- 
factory results. Prior to this time, however, he had lost all of his property 
by going security for twenty-seven thousand dollars, he and his brothers, 
Emanuel and Solomon having endorsed the notes of their brother William 
lor that amount. To meet his obligations our subject gave up the old home 
farm and in fact all that he possessed with exception of a few tools and 
some stock valued at between two and three hundred dollars. During the 
following three years he was engaged in farming on rented land, and at the 
end of that time removed to his present farm, his father-in-law having given 
Mrs. Snyder eighty acres. She also purchased another eighty-acre tract, so 
that they now own a good farm of one hundred and sixty acres, which he 
has placed under excellent cultivation. It is known as the Henry Bowers 
farm and here Mr. Snyder has made his home since 1897, d'-^ring which time 
he has kept paying off old obligations to the amount of twenty-five hundred 
dollars. In some instances the notes had run for eleven years. In 1886, 
during the boom in Findlay, Mr. Snyder was offered four liundred dollars 
per acre for his old Snyder farm but did not make up his mind to sell until 
thirty days later. When ready to accept the offer his brother Solomon ad- 
vised him to wait, believing the land w^ould bring six hundred dollars per 
acre, but the offer was never repeated. There had been previously sold 
some adjoining land for three hundred dollars per acre, which shortly af- 
terward brought eight hundred dollars, and this led him to believe that which 
he possessed was worth more than four hundred dollars per acre. In 1888, 
on his removal to Findlay, he leased his fami for twelve hundred dollars 
cash, receiving his pay in twenty dollar gold pieces. A gas well was sunk 
upon the place, but it did not prove a valuable one. At that time the streets 



5«2 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

of Findlay were crowded with an excited lot of people who expected soon 
to realize vast fortunes from their gas wells. 

On the loth of December, 1878, Mr. Snyder was united in marriage to 
Miss Alice S. Wyer, then twenty-three years of age, the daughter of Henry 
Wyer. She was born in Fairfield county but when a young girl came with 
her parents to Hancock county and was educated in the high school of Find- 
lay. By her marriage she has become the mother of two sons : William 
B., born June 30, 1882; and Cloyd C, born August 22, 1884. Both are at 
home with their parents. The family hold a high place in the esteem of the 
community in wdiich they live, and as a genial, courteous gentleman Mr. 
Snyder has made a host of friends throughout the county. 

JOHN F. STALL. 

The Stall family were of German extraction, the American branch or- 
iginating from settlers in Pennsylvania. From Franklin county, in that 
state, during the earlier half of the nineteenth century, George and Mary 
Stall came to Carroll county, Ohio, where they resided until 1853. In 
that year they removed to Hancock county and located on eighty acres of 
land which had been but little improved and contained no better building than 
a log house. The newcomers remained on this farm until 1892, when it 
was sold and a residence purchased in Findlay, which was the home of Mr. 
imd Mrs. Stall until their deaths, which occurred September 24, and Jan- 
uary 2, 1895, I'espectively. George Stall was a man of influence in his town- 
ship, where he held the offices of treasurer and clerk. While liolding the oftlce 
cf township treasurer he was robbed of one thousand two hundred dollars 
of the public money, which he made good by selling some property w'hich 
he owned in the town of Arcadia. This robbery occurred in 1868, 
but Mr. Stall's prompt restitution of the funds by sacrificing his individual 
means, not only satisfied the people, but raised him higher in their esti- 
mation. During the Mexican war he held a commission as colonel 
given under Governor David Todd, of the state of Ohio, and fought under 
General Scott with such gallantry as to obtain recognition as a brave 
and loyal soldier. By his marriage, which occurred December 31, 1835, l"*^ 
became the father of seven children, of w'hom five are still living and four of 
these are residents of Hancock county. His son, John F. Stall, who is the 
subject of this sketch, was born in Carroll county, Ohio, January 12, 1837, 
and received his education at the schools in Findlay after his parents removed 
to Hancock county. In 1855 he w^ent to Illinois, where he was employed six 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 383 

years as bookkeeper for the Rock Island Railroad Company. Wliile on a 
visit to his old home in Hancock county he met Miss Nancy, the popular 
daughter of Wilson and Mary Roller, and the result was a mutual attachment 
on the part of the young people. Their marriage was consummated April 
JO, 1862, and proved both happy and fruitful, the children resulting there- 
from being Wilton, born October 6, 1864; Flora A., born January 
19, 1868; Edwni, December 14, 1870; James A.. April 21, 1873; George W., 
December 29, 1875; Thomas ]., September 29, 1878; and William H., bom 
June 28, 1884. The mother of these children is a native of Hancock county, 
having been born in Big Lick township, September 23, 1840, and her family 
is one of high respectability and influence, while she herself is a lady of many 
virtues and most excellent judgment. In his earlier years, Mr. Stall joined 
the forces engaged in teaching "the young idea how to shoot" and was an 
efficient member of the educational guild for nine years. He has always 
stood well in his community, is regarded as a man of good business judgment 
and was called on at different times to take charge of township offices, holding 
the clerkship for six years and the position of assessor for one term. In 1871 
he took possession of his present farm of eighty acres in Big Lick township 
and has since operated it with such skill and industry as to make it one of the 
best tilled tracts of its size in that part of the county. Mr. Stall and his family 
are members of the Presbyterian church, of which he holds the position of 
trustee, and the performance of all his duties, both as man and citizen, has 
been done with such conscientiousness as to gain him general esteem. George, 
the father of our subject, was a twenty-four degree Mason and belonged to 
Findlay Blue Lodge, No. 227. 

WILLIAM GREEN. 

William Green, who has passed the seventieth milestone on the journey of 
life, is an honored and respected resident of Hancock county, Ohio. A native 
of the Keystone state, he w^as there born in the year 1829, and is a son of Will- 
iam and Susan (Hummond) Green, both also natives of Pennsylvania. In 
1840 they left their home in that commonwealth and came to Hancock coun- 
ty, locating on one hundred and sixty acres of virgin forest land in Union 
township. During his lifetime the father cleared and improved his land, mak- 
ing it one of the most productive farms of his community. His life's labors 
were ended in death in 1862, and a short time afterward his widow joined 
him in the spirit world. 

William Green, of this review, was one of eleven children, five of whom 



384 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

are still living, but he is now the only representative of the family in Hancock 
■county. He was but eleven years of age when he accompanied his parents 
on their removal to this locality, and throughout his entire business career 
he has devoted his energies to the tilling of the soil. In 1855 he purchased his 
present homestead, which at that time was in its primitive condition, but as 
the years have passed by he has cleared and improved the land, has erected 
commodious and substantial buildings, and the farm is now one of the val- 
uable ones of Union township. His fellow townsmen, recognizing his w^orth 
and ability, have frequently called him to positions of honor and trust, and 
he has efficiently served his township as its trustee, supervisor and as a school 
director. 

Mr. Green was first married in 1855, when Miss Rachel Winniger be- 
came his wife. This union resulted in the birth of six children, namely : 
Calvin W., who is engaged in teaching school; C. L., a successful agricultur- 
ist, who died December 10, 1902; W. J., a minister of the Methodist Episco- 
pal church; Morris; Mary and Rachel. The mother of this family was 
called to her final rest in 1866, and for his second wife Mr. Green chose 
Catherine Linehart, their marriage having been celebrated in 1868. One son, 
Austin L., was born of this marriage. This union was also separated by 
the hand of death, for in 1871 the wife and mother was called to her home 
beyond, and in the following year, 1872, Mr. Green wedded her sister, Annie 
M. Linehart. They became the parents of four children, — Loa I., Irvin 
O., Pearl M. and Pari M. For the third time Mr. Green was called upon 
to mourn the loss of a beloved companion, for on the 21st of April, 1895, the 
wife passed into eternal rest. Mr. Green is a worthy member of the Methodist 
Episcopal church, in which he has held office. He is widely and favorably 
known in the county in which he has so long made his home and his friends 
are almost as many as his acquaintances. 

ANDREW J. PLOTTS. 

A highly respected retired farmer of Hancock county, Ohio, is Andrew 
T. Plotts, who now is a resident of Findlay. His birth occurred in Fairfield 
county, Ohio, in 1821, and he is a son of Gershum and Mary (Plotoner) 
Plotts, who were both natives of Pennsylvania. 

Gershum Plotts was a brickmaker by trade and followed this occupation 
in Fairfield county, combining it with farming. When he located in Han- 
cock county, he settled on a farm of eighty acres, in Amanda township, but 
some years later, disposed of this property and bought a farm in Michigan, 





'/cy^i 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 385 

upon which he hved until his deatli, whicli occurred in 1877. He was an 
industrious man, and one who was honest and upright in his deahngs with 
others. His poHtical views made him a Democrat. In rehgious behef, both 
he and wife were consistent members of the United Brethren church. His 
first wife, who was the mother of our subject, died prior to his removal from 
Fairfield county, and he then married Mrs. Mary Donaldson. By his two 
marriages Mr. Plotts had a family of seven sons, by his first union, and two 
by his second, and seven of these children still survive. 

Andrew J. Plotts was fifteen years of age when his father located in 
Hancock county. He was the third son and upon him fell much of the hard 
work of the farm, but it gave him a practical knowledge which he has put 
to excellent use throughout life. His education was obtained in the short win- 
ter terms of school in both Fairfield and Hancock counties. In 1873 he pur- 
chased ninety acres of land in Henry county, Ohio, and moved upon that 
farm about 1879, ^-^nd resided there for fourteen years. In 1896 he returned 
to Hancock county, and in 1901 he sold his Henry county farm, retiring to 
his pleasant home in Findlay. 

The first marriage of Mr. Plotts was in 1842, to Miss Elizabeth Dipert, 
and to this union there were born eleven children, eight of whom still survive, 
namely: Mary A. Bowman; Lydia Kistler; Ella L. Altman; Christina Alt- 
man; Elizabeth Martin; Sarah J. Woulgmuth; Ira and John W. Plotts. 
The death of the mother of these children took place in 1875. The second 
marriage of Mr. Plotts was in 1897, to Mrs. Nellie T. Martin. By a life of 
exemplary living, our subject has preserved both his physical vigor and his 
mental faculties in a very remarkable way, cind enjoys life, very free from the 
cares which frequently attend advancing years. He is held in very high es- 
teem in Findlay and has a wide circle of friends. 

LEWIS H. HOSTLER. 

This gentleman is among the leading merchants of the village of Arcadia, 
Hancock county. He is one of the younger members of the business circle 
of his town, but his previous career has been such as to augur well for his 
future. He believes heartily in the principles of "living and letting live." 
His upright dealing with his customers is rapidly pushing him to the front as 
one of the leading merchants of the community. Mr. Hostler was born in 
Washington township. A preliminary training in the country school 
was supplemented by a thorough course in the Arcadia high school, wdiich 
training has fitted him well for a life of usefulness in business. He 



386 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

operates and owns a first class general store, in which may be found the best 
of everything in its line. His marriage occurred in 1885,. to Miss Mary, the 
daughter of J. J. Boyle, her mother's maiden name having been Mahala Mc- 
Cray. To this union a family of four children have been born : Mertie M., 
Arthur J., Wilbur R., and Corine. The mother of this family is a lady of many 
graces of character, and is a true helpmate and advisor to her husband. She 
was born in West Virginia, March 6, 1869. Mr. Hostler takes an active 
interest in the social life of his community, being a member of several of its 
leading organizations, of which might be particularly mentioned the Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows. 

Passing to the consideration of the family history of Mr. Hostler we 
note that he is the son of Jeremiah and Mary (Linhart) Hostler. His father 
was born in Stark county, Ohio, May 6, 1843. His mother was a native of 
the Keystone state, where she was born in Pittsburg, in 1846. Their mar- 
riage was celebrated in 1867, and the result of the union was the birth of 
Francis A., Lewis H., Nettie B., Frederick, and Bertha. Jeremiah Hostler 
and his wife removed to Hancock county in an early day. where he purchased 
a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, and during his lifetime continued to 
engage in agricultural pursuits. He was a practical business man, and an 
excellent farmer. In connection with the operation of his farm he was en- 
gaged extensively in the buying and selling of stock, of which he was an ex- 
tensive shipper to the eastern markets. He made a host of friends by his 
conscientious conduct in business, and the geniality of his temperament was 
such as to keep the friendship which he had gained. He was an attentive 
listener of the gospel as it was expounded from the Lutheran pulpit. Fra- 
ternally he is affiliated with the I. O. O. F. His death occurred in 1887, 
liis widow continuing to reside on the home farm near the town of Arcadia. 
Jeremiah was a son of Peter and Susana (Sherman) Hostler, the former 
having been born in York county, Pennsylvania, May 14, 1821, and the 
latter in Maryland, in 1825. They removed to Stark county, Ohio, in 1842, 
where they reared a family of twelve children, four of whom are now liv- 
ing, namely : Morris, David, William and Sara. Peter Hostler by trade 
was a contractor and builder, and a thorough-going business man. He stood 
well in the esteem of the public, enjoying their entire confidence and respect. 
He was intimately connected with the development and growth of Hancock 
county in its early history, having removed here with his family as one of 
the pioneers. As stated before, he was an excellent business man, and had a 
mind which was well fitted for the promotion of enterprises and the organ- 
ization of new schemes. He was instrumental in 1874 in the organization 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 387 

of the Farmers' Bank of Findlay, of which he was president from that date 
until 1887. He then retired from the presidency of the Farmers' Bank and 
in the following May organized, together with a number of other business 
men of Findlay, the City Bank. Of this he was also president. He was an 
earnest and active worker in the ranks of the Democratic party, and received 
recognition at its hands by election as treasurer of the county, an office wdiich 
he filled to the entire satisfaction of his constituents for a period of four 
years. His death, which took place in February, 1894, was sincerely lamented 
by his friends and mourned by his relatives, both of whom are numerous. 

It is proper to state of the son, Lew'is H. Hostler, that he is a w^orthy 
representative of a worthy father, in wdiose footsteps he is consistently fol- 
lowing. He endeavors to give his support to every movement that is cal- 
culated to prove of public good, and is widely acknowledged as a worthy citi- 
zen. All who know him esteem him highly for his sterling worth, and his 
circle of friends in the community is extensive. 

B. F. WINELAND. 

B. F. Wineland, who is ex-county commissioner and a resident of Cass 
township, is one of the well known and popular men of Hancock county. 
His birth was in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, October 23, 1839, and 
he is a son of Joseph and Frances (Greenawalt) Wineland, the former of 
Avhom was born m 1801, also in Westmoreland county. 

In 1824 Joseph Wineland married Frances Greenaw'alt, the daughter 
of a neighboring farmer, and in 1844 they moved to Hancock county, Ohio, 
and located on a farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Cass township, 
adding other tracts until he owned three hundred and sixty acres in various 
parts of the township. Mr. Wineland became one of the leading men of 
Cass township, serving for many years as a justice of the peace and filling 
many local offices. His party at one time nominated him for county com- 
missioner. Flis interest in public matters w'as that of a single-minded citi- 
zen, his hopes always being for the final triumph of those principles which 
he deemed right. Mr. Wineland w-as a Democrat in the early days, and later 
w^as one of the first movers in what was known as the Know Nothing- party, 
finally becoming one of tlie organizers of the Republican party in Han- 
cock county. He was a large-hearted, hospitable and generous man, and 
w^as ever ready to contribute to the advancement of his locality. Joseph 
Wineland passed out of life in August, 1861, before he saw^ the consumma- 
tion of his hopes for his country. In October of the same year his faithful 



38S CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

wife also passed away, and both of them sleep in honored graves in the beau- 
tiful cemetery near Van Buren, Ohio. 

Our subject was reared on his father's farm and his education was 
o]:itained in the public schools. He cast his first presidential vote for Abra- 
ham Lincoln in i860. The outbreak of the Civil war aroused his loyalty, 
and ever since he has been an earnest worker in the Republican party. On 
October 14, 1862, he put aside the duties which had thus far hindered him, 
and as a private enlisted in Company K, One Hundred and Eighteenth Regi- 
ment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which immediately joined others at Fal- 
mouth, Kentucky, and from then until the close of the war our subject par- 
ticipated in every battle where his regiment was engaged, with the exception 
of Resaca, at which time he was serving on detached duty. A long line of 
notable battles was this, including Mossy Creek, Kennesaw Mountain, At- 
lanta, the Atlanta campaign, Franklin and Nashville. At one time Mr. 
Wineland was under fire for one hundred and twenty days. After the battle 
of Nashville he was transferred to General Sherman's command in North 
Carolina, and assisted in the capture of Fort Anderson. 

In 1864 our subject's gallantry brought him into notice, and he was 
made orderly-sergeant, and continued to efficiently fill this position until he 
was mustered out in July, 1865. With his comrades he then returned home, 
where each one endeavored to pick up their old occupations. Many of these 
lost opportunities could not be found, but others, like our subject, found warm 
hearts awaiting their return, and in their added affection and admiration 
found solace for many of the terrible hardships they had passed through, 
Mr. Wineland purchased his present farm in Cass township and for some 
years engaged both m farming and lumbering, but has discontinued the 
latter branch. 

On July 3, 1862, shortly before his enlistment, ]\Ir. \\'ineland was mar- 
ried to Miss Caroline Nelson, who was born in Mahoning county, Ohio, on 
February 17, 1844, ^iid is a daughter of Jonathan and Mary (Pettigrew) 
Nelson. By this union there were three children : Franklin L., born March 
31, 1863; Mary S., now Mrs. William Davis, born August 31, 1867; and 
Merle B., born December 15, 1884. Franklin L. Wineland is one of the 
most talented and skilled musicians in western Ohio. His genius was early 
recognized, and after enjoying great advantages in instruction in America, 
he completed his studies under some of the best masters of the art at Berlin, 
Germany. 

Mr. Wineland has been a prominent man in his immediate locality, and 
has been honored by the treasurership of the township for a period of four- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 389 

teen consecutive years, and \vas elected county commissioner, serving most 
efficiently from September 16, 1895, to September 14, 1901. He is an hon- 
ored member of the United Veterans' Association. 

Mr, Wineland belongs to a patriotic family. Two of his brothers were 
also soldiers in the Civil war, and they bravely met a soldier's death. The 
honorable record which our subject can show is not only a matter of just 
pride to himself, but reflects honor upon his children and upon a country 
which, in need, can find such valiant sons. 

JOHN A. THOMAS. 

One of the prominent G. A. R. men and worthy citizens of the city of 
Findlay is the above named gentleman, who lives in a comfortable residence 
at 1 115 East Sandusky street. He is a native of Findlay township, where 
he was born May 13, 1846. and is a son of James B. and Eliza J. (Abrams) 
Thomas. The father was a native of Caroline county, Maryland, where he 
was born July 4, 1804. The mother was a native of Fairfield county, Ohio. 
James Thomas was one of the first settlers in Hancock comity. His father 
moved to Pickaway county, Ohio, when James was about six years of age. 
James remained here up to 1829, when he removed to Hancock county, 
where he filed upon ninety-eight acres of virgin forest land. He put up 
the usual log cabin and remained a year, when he returned to his home 
in Pickaway county, and there married our subject's mother, this being in 
1832. They returned immediately to Hancock county, and passed the re- 
mainder of their lives engaged in agricultural pursuits. To them were 
born ten children, eight of whom are now living. James Thomas left the 
reputation of being a man of large heart whose sympathies were soon touched 
by the woes and Avants of others. He was very charitable and of a gen- 
erous cast of character. During his lifetime he held some of the 
township offices, and at his death distributed his property to his family. 
The mother of this family died in 1863, on the ist of April, while the father 
lived until November of 1877. 

Mr. John A. Thomas, whose name initiates this paragraph, was there- 
fore reared and educated in Findlay township. He was but a lad when 
the Civil war came on. h\\\ he watched v/ith interest the progress of events 
which precipitated the country into that sanguinary conflict, and when the 
storm broke he was found among the boys in blue who went forth to battle 
for the Union. He enrolled as a private soldier in Company G, Twenty- 
flrst Ohio Volunteer Infantry, on the 5th of December, 1863. In this or- 



390 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

ganization he participated in some of the bloody Ijattles of the war, some of 
which were as follows : Tunnel Hill, Buzzard Roost, Resaca, Altoona, 
Kennesaw Mountain, Vining Station, Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta, Jones- 
boro, Savannah and Benlonville. He was fortunate in passing through 
this experience without harm, and received his discharge July 25, 1865. 
Returning from the war, his thirst for knowledge was such that although 
advanced in age for a school boy, lie entered the Findlay high school and 
passed some time in the pursuit of kno^vledge. After leaving school he went 
west to the state of Missouri, where he became apprenticed to the carpenter's 
trade, and after spending three years in the west he returned to his native 
county, where for the next two years he was engaged at his trade. In 1871, 
having the previous year, on January 27, married Lydia A. Kiehl, second 
daughter of Eli and Maria (Uber) Kiehl, he removed with his family to 
Kansas, wdiere he remained for a period of four years. There he followed 
his trade. The charms of his native county were too great, however, and 
he again returned and h.as suice been a resident within her borders. Mr. 
and Mrs. Thomas have reared a family of six children : Etta, Almeda, 
Albert R., Bessie P., Mary G. and John A., Jr. The mother of this fam- 
ily was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, on the 20th of October, 
1849, ^"d ^s of German descent. Mr. Thomas has figured prominently in 
his township, and is a man of forceful character. He is at the present time 
holding the office of assessor. In the G. A. R. organization he has taken 
an active interest and has been honored with the office of commander of 
Stoker Post of Findlay. As a contracting carpenter Mr. Thomas enjoys 
the entire confidence of his wide field of patrons, and the large number of 
fine residences which he has built in the city of Findlay and adjacent terri- 
tory, is a lasting monument of his skill and ingenuity. He and his family 
are held in high repute in their native city, and deserve and receive the 
best wishes of a large circle of acquaintances. 

WILLIAM J. CUSAC. 

The Cusac family has been intimately connected with the development 
of Hancock county since pioneer days. Its members have been active not 
only in v/resting from nature lands of the primeval forest, in maintaining a 
glorious fight for the Union during secession times, but also in serving 
through quiet seasons the needs of a community progressive in agriculture, 
mining and education. 

From the day that Daniel Cusac, a quiet, unassuming m?n, bought 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 391 

froni the government a tract ni land in Liberty township, the family has Ijeen 
continuously engaged in converting- the forest into arable land. They have 
not been content to till the improved soil, but from time to time they have 
given up the old for new and uncleared tracts, though the first land purchased 
from the government has always remained in the family, and is now the 
propertv of William Cusac. 

John Cusac, son of Daniel and father of William J. Cusac, was born in 
Ohio. May 20, 1820, and soon after came to Hancock county with his father. 
He married a native of Pennsylvania. Miss Nancy Bell, who was born in 
1823. They had six children: The four still living are: J. S., Abbie, 
Emeline and William J. Cusac. 

John Cusac bought his first farni of forty acres at the time of his mar- 
riage. This he cleared and shortly after sold, buying in turn three other 
farms, which he improved and subsequently sold. He now lives in Portage 
township on a fine farm, which is the fifth piece of land that he has brought 
under cultivation. His life has been decidedly active, useful and progress- 
ive. When improved methods of farming began to be put into practice and 
the benefits of unified action and mutual helpfulness presented themselves to 
the farming community, he was among the first to call into existence the 
idea of an organization which speedily materialized in the form of the Han- 
cock County Agricultural Association. For many years he acted as its presi- 
dent, dictating its affairs with remarkable wisdom. 

William J. Cusac was born in Liberty township November 9, 1841, 
wliere he received his early training and education. He turned his atten- 
ton to farming ^^•ith the view of making it his life work, and. with the excep- 
tion of three years spent in the military service of his country, agriculture has 
been his uninterrupted pursuit. In 1862 he enlisted in Company G of the 
Eighty-seventh Ohio Infantry. He was taken prisoner, sent home on parole 
and in the following year exchanged. Thereupon, in 1863, he entered the Army 
of the Cumberland, as a member of Battery L, First Ohio Artillery, serving 
as sergeant and being actively engaged in Tennessee. In 1865 he was hon- 
orably discharged, and retiu-ning to civil life once more took up the quiet 
duties of the farm. The same year he married Miss Naoma, daughter of 
the pioneer, Joseph Mdrrill. She was born in Liberty township in 1845. 
Seven children were born to them: Charles, Frank, Efiie, Hattie, Joseph, 
Florence and Bertha. Of these all except the second son, Frank, are still 
living. In 1872 he made his first investment of sixty-six acres. ' By hard 
work he increased his holdings from time to time, until in 1889 he owned 
one hundred and twenty-six acres, the size of his estate todav. This land is 



392 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

valuable not only for agricultural purposes, but for its twelve oil-producing 
wells, which yield a considerable output annually. 

Besides being the president of the Hancock County Agricultural Asso- 
ciation, an honor which has descended to him from his father, Mr. Cusac 
has identified himself actively with the G. A. R. He has been a director of 
the county infirmary for seven years, and a member of the school board for 
twelve years. Like his father and Daniel Cusac, the grandsire, he has made 
for himself many friends, who will always find him at the head of all enter- 
prises that speak of healthy progress. He is a Republican in politics. 

JOHN SCHOONOVER. 

John Schoonover is one of the prominent farmers of Hancock county, 
who is the fortunate possessor of a large, well improved farm located in Lib- 
erty township, in the oil belt, and receives the revenues of several producing 
wells. 

The birth of John Schoonover occurred in Franklin county, Ohio, March 
8, 1827, and he was the third in a family of six children born to his parents, 
Abraham and Margaret (Baker) Schoonover, the former of whom was born 
in Virginia, in September, 1794, and the latter in Maryland, in May, 1803. 
They were of Dutch ancestry. In 1831 Abraham removed to Ohio and lo- 
cated on a farm north of Findlay, where he died in 1864, but his widow sur- 
vived until March 21, 1876. Both were worthy people and although they 
never accumulated large means, they taught their children industrious habits 
and set them examples of moral lives. 

Although our subject was not surrounded by plenty in his youth and 
was forced to work for liis possessions, he has never regretted this necessity, 
but can now point to his three great farms and thus show what can be ac- 
complished by frugal and persevering industry. Mr. Schoonover owns two 
hundred and eighty acres of as fine land as there is in Hancock county and is 
justly regarded as one of her most substantial citizens. 

\n 1 85 1 he was united in marriage with Mary Comer, and to this union 
were born nine children, six of these still surviving, namely: Suffronia, 
born in 1852; Samilda, l)orn in 1854; Amos P., born in 1862; William L., 
born in 1865 ; Harvey, born in 1870; and Clara, born in 1874. 

Mr. Schoonover has been honored with many testimonials of the general 
esteem in which he is held. For twenty-eight years he was township treas- 
urer, was supervisor and school director. Both he and wife are leading mem- 




\ 




^ 





^,^:rcr^riu^ny~tJj_. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 393 

bers of the United Brethren church and he is a hberal supporter of the same. 
Few men in his community stand in higher pubhc esteem. 

Mrs. Mary C. Schoonover was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, in 1831, 
and is a daughter of Isaac and Hannah (pjurton) Cdmer, who were married 
October 25, 1830. Isaac Comer was born in Virginia, January 2, 1793, and 
ched September 3, 1852. FTis first wife, Hannah Culp, was born in Ohio, 
September 9, 1803. His second wife, Hannah Burton, was born February 
6, 1802. 

Isaac Comer was one of the early settlers of Hancock county, coming 
hither in 1832 when wild beasts and savages still roamed the forests. Fie 
first settled on the farm which is at present the property of Jacob Wagoner. 
At the time of his death he owned two hundred and forty acres. Mr. Comer 
was the true pioneer, openhearted, frank and hospitable; he was not only re- 
spected but was much beloved. His home was the home of the Baptist minis- 
ter ; his was the hand that opened to the call of distress. He filled many of 
the township offices and was an important factor in the de\'elopment of this 
section. His children numbered eleven, five of whom are living. Mrs. 
Schoonover is the sixth in order of birth. In politics Air. Schoonover is a 
Republican. 

JOSEPH BENSON CLAYTON. 

Joseph Benson Clayton, who is one of the highly respected substantial 
and leading men of Van Buren, Ohio, is a worthy representative of an old 
colonial family, many of its members having been prominent in various 
walks of life. Henry Clayton, the grandfather of Joseph B. Clayton, was 
a captain in the Revolutionary war, who was captured by the Hessians, and 
his ^vidow drew through life a pension from the government. The family 
was of English origin and probably first located in Virginia. 

Joseph B. Clayton was born in Washington county, Maryland, in 1833, 
and is a son of Joseph and Louisa (Shawman) Clayton, the former of whom 
was born in Virginia, and the latter in Kentucky. Joseph Clayton was 
a civil engineer by profession, an experienced teacher, noted as a mathema- 
tician, and also succeeded as a merchant. He was a member of the Metho- 
dist church. His family consisted of nine children, eight of whom still sur- 
vive, but Joseph B. is the only one residing in Hancock county. He was 
reared and educated in Fairfield county, Ohio, learned the trade of a plasterer 
and for thirty-five years has been one of the most reliable workmen in his 
line in Hancock county, whither he removed in 1858. On account of his 



394 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

complete knowledge of his business, his care and exactness, he has always 
found his services in demand. Prior to coming to Hancock county he served 
as captain of militia. ]\Ir. Clayton has been a provident man, and has ac- 
cumulated much property, o\vning one hundred acres in Van Buren town- 
ship, Hancock county. 

January 2, i860, Mr. Clayton was jomed in marriage with Miss Caro- 
line Meyers, who was born in Mahoning county, Ohio, in 1839, and to this 
union were born four children : Willis M., who for some time was president 
of the State Normal School at Ashland, Oregon, but now in California ; 
lx)ttie; Louise; and Georgiana, deceased. 

Mr. Clayton is a valued member of the order of Odd Fellows, a man of 
whom his associates speak with respect, and justly regarded as a representa- 
tive citizen. He is a Democrat in national affairs, though locally he sup- 
ports the men whom in liis judgment are best. 

WILLIAM I. KIEFER. 

One of the most straightforward, energetic and successful business men 
of Findlay is William I. Iviefer. In industrial circles he is an important 
factor, and liis popularity is well deserved, for in him are embraced the 
characteristics of an unbending integrity, unabating energy and industry that 
has never flagged. He is a public spirited and thoroughly interested in what- 
ever tends to promote the moral, intellectual and material welfare of Find- 
lay, and for many years he has been numbered among its most \'alued and 
honored citizens. 

A native son of the Buckeye state, Mr. Kiefer was born in Wayne coun- 
ty, Ohio, on the 14th of July, 1857, which county his father, John Michael 
Kiefer, also claimed as his nativity, his birth there occurring in 1832. 
Throughout his entire business career the latter devoted his energies to the 
tilling of the soil, and he lived and died in Wayne county, being summoned 
into eternal rest in 18S0. The Kiefer family trace their lineage to the father- 
land, the paternal grandfather of our subject having been a native of Ger- 
many. William I., of this review, remained in the place of his nativity until 
fourteen years of age, during which time he attended its district schools, 
and at that age he entered the high school at Smithville, Ohio, in which he 
continued his studies for three years. On leaving the school room as a 
pupil he again entered it as an instructor, being at that time seventeen years 
of age, and the profession of teaching school continued to claim his efforts 
for six years, his labors being confined to the county of Wayne. On the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 395 

expiration of that period he purchased an interest in a mercantile estabhsh- 
ment at Smithville, Ohio, where he remained for three years, while for the 
following five years he was engaged in merchandising in Sterling, this state. 
In the year 1885 he came to Findlay and entered the insurance and loan 
business, to which vocation he has since directed his efforts, and in his chosen 
endeavor he is meeting with a high and well merited degree of success. His 
reputation in all trade transactions has ever been above question, and to an 
unusual degree he enjoys the confidence and regard of those with ^\•hom he 
has been brought in contact through business dealings. 

The marriage of Mr. Kiefer was celebrated in Findlay, in 1882, when 
Miss Gertrude Beardsley became his wife. In his fraternal relations our sub- 
ject is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the 
Ancient Order of United Workmen, and his political support is given to 
the principles of the Republican party. Mr. Kiefer keeps well informed 
on the issues of the day, both political and otherwise, and at all times has 
manifested a commendable interest in everything pertaining to the welfare 
and advancement of the city of his choice. He is a man of genial tempera- 
ment and genuine worth, and is popular and respected in all circles. 

JESSE L. DOZER. 

The career of the soldier is always interesting, and in all local history 
the soldiers must have an honored place. There are yet living in Wash- 
ington township, Hancock county, Ohio, several ex-soldiers of the Civil 
war who are regarded with peculiar respect, but none of these is held in 
higher esteem than the subject of this notice. Mr. Dozer, at the breaking- 
out of the Civil war, laid aside all personal interests to aid in defense of the 
old flag and what it represents. He enlisted in Company A, of the Twenty- 
sixth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, which became a part of the 
Fifteenth army corps of the arm}^ of the l"ennessee. He participated in 
all of the principal battles in which this army was engaged, following old 
glory while the bullets fell fast and thick above him, but luckily passing 
through the entire experience without being harmed. He was in the noted 
iTiarch to the sea with "Uncle Billy Sherman," and returned with his army 
through the Carolinas. He was honorably discharged on the 28th of July, 
1865. He returned home to enjoy the blessings of an unsundered union, 
in the preservation of which he bore an honorable part. 

Jesse L. Dozer is at the present time proprietor and operator of the 
J. L. Dozer quarry in \A'ashington townshii>, which covers four acres and 



396 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

contains a stone deposit two hundred and seventy feet deep. It is one of 
the largest quarries in northern Ohio, and yields an excellent product, which 
is used largely in the construction of buildings throughout the northern part 
of the state. The product from the quarries is peculiarly valuable in 
macadamizing and concrete work, and for the latter use cannot be surpassed. 
Mr. Dozer was born in Muskingum county, Ohio. His parents, George 
and Elizabeth (Lefler) Dozer, were natives of Pennsylvania, and were 
among the earliest pioneers in Muskingum county, Ohio. The father was 
a man of influence and prominence in his day, for a long period of years 
serving in the ofhce of justice of the peace, and also as trustee of his town- 
ship in the above mentioned county. He was a Jeffersonian Democrat in 
political belief, originally a member of the Lutheran church, and died April 
5, 185 1, his wife surviving him until December 28, 1870. Their household 
at one time contained thirteen children, of which number, despite its sup- 
posedly unlucky character, but one has been claimed by death, and that 
fatality occurred in February. 1901. Jesse L. Dozer was educated in the 
schools of Zanesville, Ohio, and, as previously stated, no event of importance 
occurred to mar the monotonous character of his life until he entered the 
army. Upon his return from the war he devoted himself to learning the 
carpenter's trade, and subsequently drifted into the lumber business, in which 
he continued up to 1885. He then for a number of years caried on a well- 
drilling business, in whicli he became widely known, having the record of 
drilling two hundred and ninety-eight water wells in and around Fostoria. 
He had removed to Hancock county in 1883, in which time he has been a 
loyal citizen of the county. He is a worthy member of Norris Post, Grand 
Army of the Republic, and a communicant of the JVIethodist Episcopal 
church, whose interests he is always active in advancing. The marriage 
of Mr. Dozer was celebrated in Wayne township, Muskingum county, No- 
vember 3, 1869. Mary E. McGinness, whom he wedded, was the daughter 
of Samuel and Sophia (i\Iorris) McGinness, and her children were five in 
number: Leonard A.; Clyde, deceased; Laura M.; Harold E. ; Russell E. 
Mrs. Dozer was born September 8, 1S51. Her father, Samuel McGinness, 
was born near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her mother, Sophia Morris, 
was the daughter of Thomas and Mary Morris, and was born in Berks 
county, Pennsylvania. December 15, 1823. She died August 18, 1902, 
having become the mother of seven children, two daughters and five sons, 
all living but the oldest son. Mrs. Dozer is the second child and eldest 
daughter. She was reared, educated and married in her native county. 
Her father was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, August 25, 1821, and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 397 

by occupation was a farmer, and li\-ed on the same farm seventy-two years. 
This farm \\as entered by liis father, Johnston McGinness, who moved from 
Berks county, Pennsylvania, to Ohio in an early day. They were of Scotch 
Irish descent, and members of the Society of Friends or Quakers. Mr. 
Dozer is highly respected by his friends and is popular among his business 
associates. 

JOHN HECK. 

There is no class of people in the United States to-day which so well 
represents the independence and prosperity of our people as the retired 
farmers. After many years of strong and earnest endeavor and hard labor, 
'n\ simple communion with nature, wrestling an existence from the soil, the 
farmer who sees his efforts crowned with success, and his occupation, once so 
humble, become one of the most dignified, its time-worn methods improved 
and extended, has many things to enjoy, and is entitled to high rank among 
his fellow citizens. 

Mr. John Heck came of a line of farmers and was born on a farm -in 
York county, Pennsylvania, October ii, 1836, though he passed his early 
childhood in Milltown, Cumberland county, in the same state. When he was 
eight years of age his parents removed to I^iberty township, Plancock county, 
Ohio, where he was reared and received his education. In May, 1865, he 
moved into the city of Findlay, where he lived until 1867, when he moved to 
a farm in Findlay townshi[), where he was engaged in farming until 1874, 
Avhen he returned to Findlay, where he opened a hardware store, in partner- 
ship with other members of his family. He continued in the hardware busi- 
ness for eighteen months, when the farm again claimed him. He remained 
on his farm until 1887, at which time he retired and moved back to Findlay, 
where he has lived e\er since, except one year spent at Carey, Wyandotte 
county. 

]\Ir. Heck's grandfather was John Heck, who was born and died in 
Pennsylvania. The first John Heck was a farmer all his life. His father 
was George Heck, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1810, and died in Han- 
cock county in 1894; he also ^vas a farmer. Mr. Heck was married in 
Hancock county, December 18, 1856, to Lydia Sherick. Mrs. Heck was 
born in Wayne county, Ohio, February 5, 1840, a daughter of Peter and 
Barbara (Funk) Sherick. Her parents both died in Liberty township, 
Hancock county, the father in 1886, and the mother in 1891. ]\Ir. and Mrs. 
Heck have four children, of whom one is dead. Those living are Bar- 
bara Etta, wife of S. C. Shoup, whose children are Blanche and Ada M.; 



39'^ CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

David, who married Ida Small, and whose children are Carl, John, Ira, 
Ralph, Saxon and Gladys; and William E., who married Nora Wagner, and 
has three children, Howard, George and Clyde. Mr. Heck has one great- 
grandson, Maynard Cramm. 

JNIr. Heck has always been a progressive citizen, and has been identified 
with the important movements of his chosen place of residence. In 1887, 
when gas was discovered on his farm, he had the first well sunk in that 
vicinit}^ which started the boom. He is a prominent member and a trustee 
of the Church of God. His generosity and benevolence are well known, as 
was evidenced by his gilt of eleven hundred dollars to Findlay College. 
In politics he has been a life long Republican. 

CHRISTOPHER GARBER. 

France, though not so famous as some other countries in the matter of 
colonization, has contributed some valuable emigration to the new world, 
included in which is the family to which this biography is devoted. Peter 
Garber, who was born in France in 181 1, learned the blacksmith's trade and 
supported himself by this occupation as long as he remained in his native 
land. In early manhood he married a young French girl, named Barbara 
Saltzmann, and in 185 1 the young cou[)le concluded that they could better 
their fortunes in the rising republic across the sea. Accordingly, they came 
over in that year, made tiieir way to Plancock county, Ohio, and found a 
location in Big I.ick township. Peter Garber was a poor man when he arrived, 
with no other reliance for success than his brain and muscle, backed by a 
willingness to work and good sense to guide his operations. He secured 
possession of one hundred acres of land, which he cultivated in summer, 
while his l:)lacksmith shop was kept busy dvu-ing the winter season. By this 
continued occupation, kept up with unceasing industry and judicious man- 
agement, our worthy French emigrant succeeded in accumulating a hand- 
some property, which supported the family in comfort during the lifetime of 
the parents, and eventually made a valuable legacy for the children. Peter 
and Barbara Garber lived to a venerable age and 'passed peaceably away 
Avithin a few years of each other, the former's death occurring January 25, 
1892, and that of the latter December 15, 1894. Their three children, 

Peter, Ellen and Christopiier, were all born in the old country before the 
emigration to America. Christopher Garber, the immediate subject of this 
sketch, was born at his father's humble home in France February 2, 1847, 
and hence was but four }ears of age when the long voyage was undertaken 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 399 

across the Atlantic. He received all his education "in Big Lick township, 
attending the public schools and assisting liis father in his various occupa- 
tions. Being brought up to habits of industry and economy and taught the 
practical details of agriculture, he possessed the needed equipment for the 
success he achieved in after life. It was in 1872 that he made the first busi- 
ness venture on his own account by the purchase of forty acres of land, which 
he cultivated assiduously and, as prosperity came, increased at different times 
until his entire estate amounted to one hundred and thirty acres. When 
it is said that all this land, besides some city property in Findlav, was ac- 
cumulated by Mr. Garber within ten years, it is not necessary to furnish 
further proof either of his untiring industry or his good management. He 
has devoted himself exclusively to agricultural pursuits and ranks amon-- 
the most progressi^-e and enterprising of Hancock's farmers. That he Js 
popular in his adopted country and that he stands well as a business man, is 
fully attested by his election as county commissioner in 1891. The manner 
in ^vhich he discharged the duties of this important position during his term 
left no cause for regret on the part of his friends for the confidence they had 
reposed in him. Besides the commissionership Mr. Garber has also filled 
the offices of justice of the peace and trustee of his township in a manner 
entirely satisfactory to those most concerned. Both in public and private 
life Mr. Garber is always found safe and reliable and an advocate of all those 
things which, in the language of Ivlatthew Arnold, "make for righteous- 
ness." Besides his general farnnng, which he carries on extensively, he 
deals in stock on a large scale and is one of the large shippers of the county. 
December 5, 1872. Mr. Garber was married to Miss Elizabeth F.. daughter 
of Samuel and Isabelle (Curry) Leonard, and this union has proved in 
every way a congenial and happy one. Their only child is a son, Leroy E., 
whose birth occurred November 21, 1876, and whose character and career 
has been such as to justify the affection bestowed upon him by his fond 
parents. He is engaged in the wool and seed business at Findlav with his 
father, and has already established a reputation in business circles which 
gives promise of great future success. Leroy E. Garber was married some 
years ago to Miss Ora Enfield, memloer of an old and respected familv. and 
their household has been brightened by the birth of two children: John 
W., born March 7, 1899; and Frances, born April i. 1901. Mrs. Garber 
w^as a member of the Methodist Episcopal church for forty years, but for the 
last few years has been a member of the United Brethren church. I\Ir. Gar- 
ber, although not a member of any church, lends his influence towards 
morality and all that is good. 



400 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

A word or two concerning the venerable parents of Mrs. Garber will 
prove of interest. Samuel Leonard was born in Pennsylvania, but his wife, 
Isabelle Curry, was a native of Ohio, where the former became a successful 
former. Both are living-, and celebrated their eighty-seventh birthdays in 
1902, his occurring in March and hers in November of that year. John 
Curry, father of Isabelle Leonard, was born in Ireland and came to the 
United States when fifteen years old. He was a weaver by trade, and also 
farmed, was a life-long member of tlie Presbyterian church, and died at a 
good old age. respected by all who knew him. Robert Leonard, father of 
Samuel, was born in Pennsylvania, of old Holland Dutch stock, but re- 
moved to Hancock county about 1838, where he followed farming. He was 
a ruler in the Presbyterian church for half a century, and died at the age 
of seventy-six years. 

SAMUEL SWAB. 

Among the prominent and substantial citizens of Cass township, Han- 
cock county, Ohio, must be mentioned Samuel Swab, whose great estate of 
three hundred and fifty-eight acres is not only well situated for farming and 
stock-raising purposes, but it is also valuable on account of containing twenty- 
four oil producing wells. 

The birthplace and home of our subject until he was nine years of age, 
was in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, where he was born on August 
5, 1845, ^^^ is a son of George and Mary (Rodabaugh) Swab. His educa- 
tion was acquired in the schools of Cass township and his subsequent life 
has been devoted to agricultural pursuits. 

George Swab, the father of our subject, was born in Westmoreland 
county, Pennsylvania, in 1813, where his wife was born in 1826. She died 
in the winter of 1848, their family consisting of four children, namely: 
Mary, deceased; Barbara E., deceased; David and Samuel. Li his young 
manhood George Swab worked at various occupations, principally teaming, 
but later learned the distilling business which he followed for sixteen years. 
He thus accumulated means with which to move to Hancock county, Ohio, 
and purchase a farm of eighty acres, twenty of which had been cleared. He 
was born of most worthy parents, George and Barbara (Coder) Swab, and 
as they were in limited circumstances, he assisted in their care. His residence 
now is on his fine farm in Cass township, still in the enjoyment of health 
despite his advanced years, and he has always been respected in his com- 
munity. 





\(LL^:zyt.^j^Z.^i:i/>^ 




^^o^x^^\yx^^^f^^^tA --<J /Ztf^t^ - 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 401 

Such were the honoraljle ancestors of our subject. In 1872 he received 
a gift of forty acres of land from his father and his own energies enabled 
him to add to this until it is the large and productive estate mentioned above. 
Here he erected commodious and suitable buildings, on modern lines, and is 
surrounded with all of the comforts of life. He has taken an active part in 
politics, being like his father, an ardent Republican, and he has been called 
upon to serve his township in a number of offices, as trustee and supervisor, 
and as a member of the school board. He ^vas also township treasurer, being 
a man of such reliability that his fellow citizens have been glad to so honor 
him. 

In 1872 Mr. Swab was married to Miss Barbara Kagy, born in Fairfield 
county, Ohio, in 1847, and a daughter of Samuel and Hannah Kagy. To this 
union there were born : Blanch, who married John Nusser ; Delora, who 
married Charles Harry; Samuel K., who married Bessie Ullery; and Pearl A. 

Mr. Swab is generally regarded as a thorough business man, known to 
be of strict integrity and is truly a representative citizen. His residence, one 
of the best in Cass township, is situated upon ground sufficiently elevated 
to lend a commanding view of the surrounding country. The house and barn, 
which were built about forty years ago, were remodeled eight years ago by 
Mr. Swab. 

JAMES W. KELLEY. 

The descendants of the Irish race have long been noted for their adap- 
tability and quickness in grasping opportunities. Where another man would 
fail, the man with Irish blood in his veins w-ill see the chance of a lifetime, 
and proceed to make the most of it in the shortest time. 

Of such stock has James W. Kelley descended. His father. William 
Kelley, was born in Ireland in 181 2, and came to America in 1839 to seek 
new fortunes. He died in 1875, leaving a widow, wdio died in 1895, and 
eight children, five sons and three daughters. 

Mr. Kelley was Ijorn in Allegany, New York, in 1866. where he livec( 
until he was twenty-three years of age. He obtained his education in the 
public schools and at St. Bona venture's College, and from 1888 to 1891 
taught in the public schools of that place. With the view^ of enlarging his 
horizon and engaging in some business enterprise, he followed his brother, 
T. C. Kelley, to Findlay, Ohio, who had preceded him about two years and 
was already established in the oil busuiess. Mr. Kelley decided to hazard 
his fortunes in the same manner and at once went into the oil producing 
business, in which he is now actively occupied. 



402 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Mr. Kelley is a prominent memljer of the Roman Catholic church, and 
has its interests thoroughly at heart, as is evidenced by the fact that he is also 
a member of the Knights of Columbus. He thoroughly believes in the 
principles of democracy, and carries his belief into his political and business 
life. In the spring election of igo2 he was elected a niember of the city 
council by an overwhelming majority, receiving a greater majority than his 
Republican opponent did votes. 

NORMAN SALTSMAN. 

Prominent among the representative citizens of Hancock county, who 
have by honest toil and industry succeeded in acquiring a handsome com- 
petence and are now^ able to spend the sunset of life in quiet and retirement, 
is the gentleman whose name appears abo\'e, his home being in Washington 
township, a short distance west of the city of Fostoria. He was born in 
Montgomery county. New York, in the town of Mohawk, July 20, 1834, and 
is the son of Frederick I. and Mary (Kiltz) Saltsman, both of whom were 
natives of New York state. The parents of Mr. Saltsman died quite early 
in life in their native state. Their family numbered nine children, only two 
of wdiom are now living. The maternal grandfather, Peter Kiltz, was an 
honored soldier in the Revolutionary war. Norman Saltsman was reared 
and educated in his native township and grew up under the sturdy and in- 
vigorating discipline of the farm amid pioneer scenes. At the age of nine- 
teen he learned the carpen.ter trade, which he followed up to 1862. In 1859 
he moved to Fostoria, Seneca county, near which ^•illage, in 1862, he pur- 
chased eighty-five acres of land in Hancock county, on a portion of which he 
now resides, having at various times parted with the remainder. In 1899 he 
became interested in the Fostoria Oil and Gas Company, of which organiza- 
tion he has been president for a period of twelve years. He is well thought of 
in his immediate community, and was trustee of the township in 1882. He 
erected the beautiful home in which he now resides in 1875. Mr. Salts- 
man was one of the "'boys in blue" at the time when the dogs of war were 
let loose, from 1861 to 1865. He enlisted as a private soldier in Company 
G, One Hundred and Eighty-ninth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 
which became a part of the army of the Cumberland. He served in this 
organization for a period and was promoted for efficient service to the office 
of corporal. He was honorably discharged September 28, 1865, and on his 
return to civil life again took up his former pursuits. As has been stated 
before, Mr. Saltsman has been very successful in a material way in life. He 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 403 

is engaged in the real-estate business, in which he is regarded as being one of 
the best authorities and safest counselors in Hancock county. He is at 
present director of the Commercial Bank and Savings Company, of Fostoria, 
Ohio. He chose for a life companion Mrs. Jerusha Brundage, the mar- 
riage occurring January 14, 1858, at Buffalo, New York. No children ha\e 
been born to the marriage. Mrs. Saltsman was born in Waterloo, Seneca 
county, New York, April 3, 1825, the daughter of John and Elizabeth Davis, 
who were born in Queens county. New York, the father of English and 
Scotch and the mother of Scotch descent. There were ten children in the 
family, but Mrs. Saltsman is the only survivor. In political belief Mr. Salts- 
man is a simon pure Republican, taking an active part in advancing the in- 
terests and policies of that party. He and his wife are both members of the 
M. E. Church, and are citizens whose position in the community assures 
them a welcome mention in this volume. 

M. A. ADAMS. 

The family of this name is well known in Hancock county for its general 
intelligence and good qualities of citizenship. They are of Irish extraction 
and descended from William and Sara Adams. Of the latter's family was 
Paul Adams, Sr., born in 1758, who was twice married, first to Sara Bogart, 
born January 6, 1744, and secondly to Abigail Parkhurst, born May 14, 
1774. The latter died on the sixth of November, 1843, and her husband in 
1834. Of the family of Paul Adams, Sr., and his second wife, Abigail 
Parkhurst, was Paul Adams, Jr., a native of Pennsylvania, born April 28, 
181 1. He was educated for the ministry of the Presbyterian church, but by 
some disturbing factor his attention was turned to the teaching, profession. 
His superior educational advantages so equipped him for his chosen profes- 
sion that he made an excellent teacher. He was also somewhat of a linguist, 
having command of four languages. He taught twenty years in Pennsyl- 
vania in the earlier part of his life, and also after he came to Ohio. He mar- 
ried Miss Margaret Diehl, who was born in Columbia county, Pennsylvania, 
June 6, 1808. The union was blessed with nine children, five of whom are 
now living. In 1835 the family removed from Pennsylvania to Richland 
county, Ohio, where Mr. Adams taught school, and latter entered eighty 
acres of land in Hancock county, to which he had removed in 1841 with his 
family. He went at once to clearing the land of its timber, and constructed 
for his family a log house which stood until the spring of 1902 as evidence 
of his handiwork. He continued this labor until the date of his death, Jan- 



404 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

uary 2<S, 1850. Paul Adams, Jr., was a man of greater mental than physical 
strength and his constitution gave way early under the severe pressure of 
pioneer life. After his premature decease his wife and son, the subject of 
this sketch, worked heroically to keep the family at home. She with her 
wheel and loom spun and wove cloth for garments for her children, while the 
different members of the family headed by our subject did the necessary work 
on the farm. They were thus able to keep the members of the family to- 
gether until they were able to do for themselves. After this the mother in i860 
married David Dorsey, a member of an old pioneer family, whose son, Allen, by 
a former wife, was the first white male child born in Cass township. Paul 
Adams, Jr., was a man of influence in his adopted county. He was town- 
ship treasurer for seven years, and was nominated by the Democrats for 
auditor of the county, but did not receive enough votes to elect. His wife, 
Margaret D. Adams, ceased from her earthly toils December 14, 1891. 

Mr. M. A. Adams, who forms the immediate subject of this review, was 
born in Montour county, Pennsylvania, July 7, 1833. Coming to this county 
at an early age, he was educated in the common schools and showed such profi- 
ciency that he aspired to a college course. This, however, became impossible, 
because of the early death of his father and the necessity for his services on 
the farm. He, however, received enough education to follow teaching for 
several years during the winter months. His first purchase of land was in 
185S, and consisted of a modest tract of twelve acres. To this small holding 
he added at various times until he is now in possession of a farm of one 
hundred and sixty acres, upon which there is a flowing gas well. As Mr. 
Adams looks out over his broad acres he has the satisfaction of knowing that 
his own labor has brought the farm to its high state of cultivation, it being 
now one of the best in the county. Underlying this farm there are some 
seventeen miles of tile, which give him an almost unbroken area for crop 
purposes. Mr. Adams practices the most up-to-date methods on his farm, 
and hence is looked upon as a very progressive agriculturist. For example 
he has produced for the past several decades twenty-five bushels of wheat to 
the acre, a record which cannot be surpassed in Hancock county. During 
his adult life he has ever given his time freely to the matters that would 
benefit the community at large, has served as a member of the board of edu- 
cation for fifteen years and as justice of the peace of his township for three 
years. He celebrated his marriage with Miss Cordelia Dorsey, October 15, 
1863. This lady was the daughter of David and Rose Dorsey, and is also 
a native of Hancock county, where she was born January 13, 1842. Their 
family consisted of the following children: Margaret R., Clara A., de- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 405 

ceased, Sara E., Viola, deceased, Nathan S., Nellie and Ada. Mr. and Airs. 
Adams are esteemed members of the Methodist Episcopal church, the former 
having- been for a long period a class leader and trustee in that organization. 
It is something to live; it is more so to live that society shall be the 
better or our having had existence. Mr. and Mrs. Adams and their family 
are held in the highest repute by all who know them, and are most worthy 
members of their community. 

WILLIAM A. LEAR. 

Among the many industries of Findlay that of William A. Lear, who 
deals in wall paper, picture frames and house decorating materials, is well 
known and patronized. 

Mr. Lear is of Pennsylvania stock, having been born in Minersville, 
Pennsylvania, in 1846. When he was four years old his parents sought new 
fortunes in Ohio, making their home in Delaware. Mr. Lear lived in Dela- 
ware, with the exception of his war service, and two years on the plains, 
until 1880, so that he looks on Delaware almost as his native town, for it 
was there he received his education and laid the foundation of his subsequent 
business career. At an early age he began to learn the trade of paper hang- 
ing and house painting, but in April, t86i. when the war broke out, he en- 
listed in Company I, Fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, but being 
under fifteen years of age, his father came to his camp within a week after 
he had enlisted, and got him out. But the boy's desire to go to war would 
not be conquered, and he again enlisted in the fall of 1861, at Delaware, in 
Company C, Twentieth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. His father, 
however, was obdurate, and much against the son's will again got him out 
of the army. He determined, how^ever, as soon as he was old enough that 
nothing should keep him from it, and in June, 1862, enlisted for the third 
time, in Company F, Ninety-sixth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serv- 
ing as a private until the end of the war. He was in a number of important 
battles, among wdiich were Ilaynes Bluff, Mississippi ; Arkansas Post, Ark- 
ansas ; the Siege of Vicksburg; the Grand Coteau, Louisiana, where he was 
captured November 3, 1863, and sent to Alexandria, Louisiana, and there 
held for fifty-one days. JNIr. Lear tells of the terrible life of the soldiers in this 
place; they were fed on nothing but sugar cane, which was thrown to them 
like com to cattle. He was paroled from this prison December 25, 1863, 
and declared exchanged by congress in May, 1864. The next battle in 
which he took part was at Fort Gaines, Alabama, after which followed those 



4o6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

of Fort Morgan, Alabama, the Spanish Fort, and the surrender of Mobile. 
He was slightly wounded in the left leg by a piece of shell at Arkansas Post, 
though he was never sick or reported unfit for duty. He was mustered out 
in Alobile, Alabama, July 7, 1865, and received his discharge papers at Co- 
lumbus, Ohio, August I, 1865. 

At the close of the war he returned to Delaware, where he took up the 
trade he had laid down while serving his country. He contracted for paper 
hanging and painting in Delaware until 1867, when he went west and spent 
the next two vears on the plains. Fie again returned to Delaware, and re- 
mained there until 1880, working at his trade. In 1880 he took advantage of 
an opening in Cleveland and ran a restaurant there for six years; in 1886 he 
came to Findlay, and returned to his profession, opening up a wall paper 
store and adding other lines as his business increased. 

Mr. Lear has been twice married, his first wife having been Mary F. 
Parks, who died December 27, 1880, leaving four children: Harry C, born 
September 20, 1869; Virginia V., wife of Willis Stover of Findlay; Etta 
M., born February 29, 1876, died September 18, 1894; Charles W., born 
August 26, 1878, Mr. Lear's second wife was Eliza W. Mechling, to whom 
he was married in Cleveland in 1883. They have no children. 

There is no man in Findlay better versed in Masonry than Mr. Lear, for 
he holds the thirty-second degree; he is also past grand master of F. & A. M. 
Lodge No. 227 at Findlay; past high priest of Chapter No. 58; past thrice 
illustrious master of Findlay Council No. 50; past eminent commander of 
Findlay Commandery No. 49, Knights Templar; past chancellor of Findlay 
Lodge No. 85, Knights of Pythias. Mr. Lear is a strong Republican and 
gives his earnest support to the policies of his party. He is a member of the 
Howard Methodist Episcopal church, and was cemetery trustee of Findlay 
for four years. 

JOHN BEARD. 

It takes a strong soul, a courageous nature to leave the comforts of a 
civilized home for the privations and hardships of the frontier. When 
Joel Beard came to Hancock county, in 1827, he brought with him a family 
of three generations. The region was still a vast wilderness, and, though 
the Indians Avere still numerous but friendly, these early pioneers suffered 
many and severe hardships. Game was fortunately plentiful, for they were 
often compelled to go without the foods of civilization. Once they had 
neither bread nor salt for a period of six months. Deer and turkey roamed 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 407 

through the forest, and the skill of the Kentucky marksman many a time 
saved these brave frontiersmen from starvation. Clothing, too, was scarce; 
the skins of the roebuck replaced the cottons and woolens of ordinary usage. 
John, the younger, wore a buckskin suit for seven years. But industry and 
perseverance can make e\'en the wilderness habitable. The father planted 
flax and the mother spun the iibre and wove it into cloth; the coat of skin 
was laid aside. When further development permitted attention to animal 
husbandry a flock of sheep cropped the herbage in the clearing and John was 
clad in woolens. 

Upon coming to Hancock county the two elder members of the Beard 
family, John and Joel, each entered eighty acres of land in Marion town- 
ship from the government, cleared it and built a log hut in which Joel lived 
until his death. Joel later added forty acres to his holding and brought 
the whole under cultivation. Both were natives of Kentucky. They were 
men of sterling equalities, able to cope with the difficulties that beset the path 
of the frontiersman. Both have passed away, but both will go down in the 
hitsory of this community as thoroughly good n.ien. 

John had fought in the war of 181 2 against Great Britain, and many 
were the nights that he held his neighbors spellbound, listening to the tales 
of wild adventure as they sat about the open fire. He was a member of 
the United Brethren church. Neither his wife Rebecca nor any of their ten 
children are now living. Joel was born in 1799. He married Mrs. Catherine 
Potter, a widow, by whom he had six children. Five of these are living, 
namely: John, ]\Iary, Emma E., Clarissa and yVlexander. His wife Cath- 
erine died in 1852. The following year he married Solona Hartman. who 
bore him five children, of whom four survive. None of them reside in 
this county. Joel lived untfl 1885, and Solona, his second wife, died in 1897. 

John Beard, the grandson, was born in Fairfield county in 1825. He 
worked on his father's farm until the time of his marriage at the age of 
twenty-four. In 1852 he made his first purchase of land. It comprised 
eighty acres in Hancock county. After working it a few years, however, 
he disposed of this and bought his present farm of eighty acres, which is 
v/ithout doubt one of the finest farms on Blanchard road. Besides being 
a practical and progressive farmer, Mr. Beard is well up in current events. 
He has a keen insight into political aft"airs, and sides with the Republican 
party. He holds the confidence of the community whom he has served as 
supervisor on the county board. Mr. Beard did not see active military 
service during the Civil war. He >vas enrolled as member of Company 



4o8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

H of the Fifty-seventh Ohio V^ohinteer Infantry Reg-iment, but supphed 
a substitute. 

In marrying Hannah A. George on February 17, 1853, Mr. Beard 
ahied himself with one of the oldest famihes of Hancock county. She was 
born jMarch 11, 1832, as the daughter of I'eter and Mary Ann George. The 
father, long and widely known as the "Land Hunter," was a native of Penn- 
sylvania, born there on October 13, 1799. Fie had moved to Pickaway 
county, this state, and as early as 1823 visited this county, though it was 
not until 1826 that he settled here permanentl}-. He entered land in Lib- 
erty and Amanda townships, and at the time of his death owned three hun- 
dred and seven acres in tlje heart of Amanda township. He acted as guide 
to tliose who had come west for new lands, and helped them decide on loca- 
tions and settlements. He was known to be strictly honorable and upright 
in liis dealings with all, and has been w^ell termed one of nature's noble- 
men. He raised a family of nine children; tw-o of these lost their lives in 
the cause of national union and all but a few have passed away. 

The Beard and George families are probably the oldest and best known 
in Hancock county. 

ABRAHAM W. SCOTHORN. 

Abraham W. Scothorn is extensively engaged in agricultural pursuits. 
Success in any calling is an indication of close application, industry and 
faithfulness, qualities wdiich are numbered among the leading characteristics 
of our subject, and the greatest reward of the successful man is his con- 
sciousness of having acted w^ell his part. This Mr. Scothorn has done, and 
to-day he stands among the highly respected citizens of his community. He 
was born in Reid township, Seneca county, Ohio, October 4, 1834. His 
father, Samuel Scothorn, was a native of the old Dominion state, but at the 
early age of twelve years he came with his parents to Ohio, locating in Frank- 
lin county, on the present site of Columbus, and his father in an early day 
planted corn on a part of the land on which that city now stands. At the age 
of eighteen years the son Samuel left the old home farm and learned the tan- 
ner's trade, following the same in Seneca county until reaching' his twenty- 
first year. Removing thence to a farm in the woods, he there established a 
tannery and conducted the same for mau}^ years, druing which time 
he did much work for the Indians. AMiile residing on that place Mr. Scot- 
horn kept a record of the game killed in the vicinity, and wathin a period of 
five years it amounted to two hundred and' fifty deer and five hundred wild 




d/La^j qMm yi n^J<u>fLj 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 409 

turkeys. The mother of our subject, who bore the maiden name of Mary- 
Smith, was a native of Frankhn county, Ohio, and her death occurred when 
her son Abraham was but four years of age. She became the mother of six 
children. After her death the father was twice married, becoming the father 
of two children by this second marriage, while his third union was blessed 
with three children. 

Abraham W. Scothorn, the sixth child in order of birth of his father's 
first marriage, was reared and educated ni the county of his nativity, and 
after reaching his twenty-first year he left the old home place and came to 
Hancock county, his first work here being in the Bishop sawmill, south of 
Findlay, Avhere he was employed for about four years. During- the succeed- 
ing six years he conducted a farm belonging to Mr. Bishop, and in 1870 came 
to his present farm in Orange township, on which he has erected commodi- 
ous and substantial buildings, built fences and placed his fields under an ex- 
cellent state of cultivation, thus making- his place one of the valuable home- 
steads of the township. On his farm of eighty acres are located eight oil 
wells, and he has also given a farm to each of his sons. In his political affilia- 
tions Mr. Scothorn is a stalwart supporter of Democratic principles, and for 
five years was the efficient clerk of Orange township, while for three years 
was its trustee and was elected to the position of treasurer, but did not qual- 
ify. In 1890 he was elected to the office of land appraiser, and in all his public 
duties he has been true to the trusts reposed in him. 

The marriage of Mr. Scothorn was celebrated on the 14th of October, 
i860, when Eliza A. Walters became his wife. She is a native daughter of 
Hancock county, her birth having occurred in Eagle township, and by her 
marriage she has become the mother of three children, namely : Florence 
R., wife of George Rote, of Van Wert county, Ohio; Walter W., who mar- 
ried Flora Porchort and resides in Michigan; and Herman H., who married 
Ella Henry, and they make their home in Eagle township, Hancock county. 
Mr. and Mrs. Scothorn also have five grandchildren — Floyd Rote, Burr, 
Lower, William A. Scothorn and one not named. This worthy couple enjoy 
the friendship of many with whom they have come in contact, for their many 
sterling characteristics have ever commanded the respect and regard of those 
with whom they have been associated. They have labored together earnestly, 
the work of the one supplementing and rounding out the work of the other, and 
their attractive home is a fitting monument to their labors. Mrs. Scothorn's 
father, Lower M. Walters, was born in Virginia and came to Eagle township, 
Hancock county, about 1834. His wife, Ruth Sharp, was born in Franklin 
county, Ohio. The father lived to be about seventy-nine years old and the 



4IO CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

mother eighty-two. They were the parents of five children, three daughters 
and two sons, of whom th.e only two now living are Dr. Walters, of Ada. and 
Mrs. Scothorn, who was the youngest of the family. 

SOLOMON SNIDER. 

Prominently known as one of the representatives of a pioneer family of 
Hancock county, is Solomon Snider, who also deserves mention in this vol- 
ume by reason of his own excellent qualities as a loyal citizen. He is a 
farmer of prominence and influence in Big Lick tow'nship, where he resides 
on an excellent farm of one hundred and eighty-three acres, and upon which 
there is in active operation eight producing oil wells. A number of others 
are in course of drilling. 

Mr. Solomon Snider first opened his eyes to the light in the village of 
Findlay, March 8, 1839. His father was Samuel Snider, the maiden name 
of his mother having been Katherine Spangler. He grew to manhood in 
Findlay township, where he was given the advantage of a good common- 
school education. Like his ancestors before him he chose for his vocation in 
life the free and independent existence of a farmer, in which pursuit he has 
been very generally successful. 

March 27, 1858, dates an epoch in the life of Mr. Snider, he having on 
that day been joined in marriage to Miss Ruth, daughter of Daniel and Jane 
Davis. For a period of three years they resided in Findlay township, 
and in 1861 removed to their present location in Big Lick town- 
ship. Here he was engaged on. his farm at the inception of the Civil 
war. and although with a growing family dependent upon him, he put aside 
all considerations of a personal character, for he felt that his duty was to his 
country. He enlisted in Company G, One Hundred and Eighteenth Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry, as a private soldier, and went to the front. The strange 
climate into which Mr. Snider was required to march under an August sun, 
proved too much for his rather precarious constitution and he succumbed 
to a sunstroke which incapacitated him for further usefulness. After four 
months of distressing sickness he was discharged on account of disability, the 
whole episode being one which Mr. Snider regrets to the present day. He, 
however, has always taken a great interest in the military life of the country, 
and is at present an honored and worthy member of Stoker Post of the G. A. 
R. The children that were born to Mr. and Mrs. Snider were Louis A., Oc- 
tober 24, i860; Eva L., April 20, 1864; Samuel E.. September 20, 1865; 
Edgar M.. June 4, 1872: Olive E.. June 28, 1878. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 411 

Mrs. Snider is a member of one of the pioneer families of Hancock 
county, where she was born August 5, 1838. Her father, Daniel Davis, was 
a native of the state of Maryland, born in 181 1. He was a mechanic by edu- 
cation, training and nature, being a man of very fine inventive faculty. He 
removed to this county in 1834, where he married in September of 1836. The 
family that he reared consisted of ten children, six of whom are now living : 
Ruth, Rachel, Henry, Mary, Jane and John. Mr. Davis died in the year 1849, 
at a comparatively early age, while his wife continued to survive him until 
1884, she dying at the advanced age of seventy-two. 

Returning again to the history of the Snider family we note that Sam- 
uel Snider, the father of our subject, was born in 181 2 in Perry county, Ohio. 
His wife, Katherine Spangler, was a native of Fairfield county, Ohio, born 
in 181 3. They married in Fairfield county, and subsequently removed tq 
Hancock where they located in Findlay township. Here Samuel entered one 
hundred and sixty acres of government land, all of which was in its native 
condition, and which he cleared. He endured the same hardships and sur- 
mounted the multiplied difficulties of which that early time was fraught. He 
was a good practical farmer in his day. In religious temperament he was 
extremely pious, being a member of the Lutheran church. He voted with the 
Republican party. He was a man of genial personality, made many friends, 
and by his consistent and upright dealings with them, was enabled to keep 
their friendship. He was sociable and hospitable in the extreme. He con- 
tinued to reside on the original farm to the time of his death, which occurred in 
1884, his wife surviving him three years. The family consisted of nine chil- 
dren; Isabelle, deceased; Louise, deceased; Solomon; Mary, deceased; Will- 
iam, George, Immanuel, Rebecca and Emma. 

Mr. Snider is a public spirited and progressive citizen of Flancock county, 
and as such is honored and highly respected by a host of friends. While the 
family belong to the Methodist Episcopal church, our subject does not belong 
but believes in a future and his actions in this life are of a charitable and hon- 
est kind, he giving in charity to all who apply. He has always been a strong 
Republican. 

WILLL\M P. BLACK. 

It is but a natural step from the oil fields of Pennsylvania io those of 
her sister state. Ohio, and among the great number of oil producers of Find- 
lay who have originally engaged in, the same occupation in their native state 
Mr. William P. Black is one of the foremost. 



412 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Mr. Black is of Irish descent, his grandfather having been born on the 
Emerald Isle, but came to America early in the eighteenth century to better 
his fortunes. He died in America, and has bq^ueathed to it something 
more than a name — his own sturdy independence and industry. His son^ 
Patrick Black, the father of him whose name introduces our review, was 
born in Pennsylvania, in v^'h^ch state he died in 1892, at the age of eighty- 
three years. He was a blacksmith, and quite successfully combined his 
trade with farmmg. Williaui P. Black was born in Freeport, Pennsylvania, 
in 1 86 1, and soon afterward his parents moved to a farm in Armstrong 
county, where he lived until he was eighteen. As was the case with so many 
young' men Ijefore him, the oil fields were a very strong attraction, and he 
began his work in that line in Bradford, his first work being that of dressing 
tools for drillers. He very early began to drill wells on his own account, 
and after five years went to Marietta, Ohio, and followed his work in the 
fields around that city for two years. The Fnidlay oil fields having shown 
great promise, he diecided to try his luck in them, and the fact that he has 
since remained indicates that he made a wise chr)ice. He thoroughly under- 
stands the business of drdling, and is constantly engaged in drilling for 
others and in producing on his own account. 

Mr. Black was united in marriage, in Findlay, to Ora Williams, daugh- 
ter of Levi and Amanda (Dempster) Williams. Mrs. Black's parents were 
both born in Ohio, her father's occupation being that of hotel-keeping and 
farming. He died in 1896, and she in 1900, their entire lives having been 
passed in this state. Mrs. Black's maternal grandmother was Violet Demp- 
ster. j\Ir. Black is an adherent of the Democratic party, though not actively 
engaged in politics. 

JACOB FRUTH. 

We name here one of the young and vigorous representatives of the 
agricultural class of Hancock county, who is making for himself a reputation 
as a scientific farmer. He resides in Washington township, where he operates 
a farm of seventy-five acres. His birth occurred in Seneca county, Ohio, 
May 29, 1874, the name of his father being John F. Fruth, and his mother's 
maiden name, Marie Peter. The former was born in Germany, May 21, 
1853, while the latter is a native of Seneca county, Ohio. In 1854, John F. 
Fruth came to this country with his parents, who located in the city of Cleve- 
land, Ohio, and remained there about three years. In 1858 he located with 
his parents in Seneca countv, Ohio, where he was reared and educated, and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 4^3 

where he continues to reside. He and his son purchased one hundred acres 
in Washington township, Hancock county, which they now own, John F. 
Fruth, the father is a worthy and practical farmer, a member of the United 
Brethren church, and a citizen of whom the county may well be proud. His 
family include three children, namely : Jacob ; Willie C. ; and Kate A. 

Jacob Fruth, who is the immediate subject of this paragraph, was reared 
for the most part in Seneca county, in the schools of which he received 
his elementary education, it being of a character to fit him for the duties of life. 
March 29, 1900, occurred his marriage, the lady being the accomplished 
daughter of Gottlieb and Lydia Mertz, her name being the same as that of 
her mother. The union has been blessed with a bright little boy, Ross R., who 
was born March 23, 1901. Mrs. Furth was born at Fostoria, Ohio, Sep- 
tember 12, 1880. Her people are of German descent. Both husband and wife 
are acceptable members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which they are 
active workers. They combine many fine social qualities and are highly es- 
teemed by all. 

DR. PERRY O. GUISE. 

Dr. Perry O. Guise is the son of one of the old settlers of Hancock county, 
his father, Jessy Guise, having settled in Findlay in the year 1834, coming 
overland in a one-horse wagon with his sister from Adams county, Pennsyl- 
vania, where he was born in the year 18 18. He was a contractor, and in the 
building of a city in what was then an undeveloped country, he found plenty 
of occupation, and passed a useful and industrious life, gaining financial 
success, and the honor and esteem of the entire community. He died at Find- 
lay in 1885. Jessy Guise's father was born in Pennsylvania in the eighteenth 
century, and died there in the nineteenth century. 

Dr. Perry O. Guise was born in Findlay, Ohio, in 185 1, and after finish- 
ing his education in the schools of that place entered the College of Physicians 
and Surgeons in Baltimore, Maryland, where he graduated in 1882, and im- 
mediately thereafter returned to Findlay, where he entered in the practice of 
his profession, and still continues. Dr. Guise w^as married Septeml^er 5, 1883, 
to Caroline H. Hay, daughter of Dr. Carmel Hay, who was a success- 
ful practitioner in Charlestown, Indiana, and lived about three-fourths 
of a century, respected and honored by all who knew him. His wife was a 
native of Virginia. Dr. and Mrs. Guise have two children, as follows : 
Helen L., born July 22, 1884; Cedric H., born July 25, 1890. He has an 
ideal home, and a large circle of friends, and is a leader in professional, po- 



414 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

liticaland church circles. He belongs to the Northwestern ]Meclical Society, 
is a member of the Presbyterian church, and an active and zealous Republican, 
working for the best interests of his party. The people of Findlay have 
shown their confidence in him by electing him to various offices. He has 
been township clerk and township treasurer of Findlay township, holding 
each office for two terms, and filling them acceptably and successfully. 

He is loyal to his city and county, and is recognized as one of the promin- 
ent and influential citizens of Findlay, devoted to his work, helping suft'ering 
humanity, and eminent in his profession. 

MRS. SARAH A. STROTHER. 

Only those lives are worthy of record that have been potential factors in 
the public progress in promoting the general welfare or advancing the edu- 
cational or moral interests of the community. Among the honored citizens 
of Hancock county none are more deserving of mention in this volume than 
the lady whose name introduces this sketch, for much of her life has been de- 
voted to the uplifting of her fellow men. 

Mrs. Strother was born at Gerrardstown, Berkeley county, in what is 
now West Virginia, May 26, 1819, and is a daughter of Joshua and Eleanor 
(Chenow^eth) Baldwin, who were also natives of that county. Her paternal 
grandparents, William and Jane (Hedges) Baldwin, were both natives of 
England and were the parents of the following children, namely : Jonah, 
Joseph, Joshua, Jane, Rebecca and Mary. William Baldwin was twice mar- 
ried, his first wife being Mary Woods, of England, by whom he had five 
children : John, William, Benjamin, Mary and Rebecca. Mrs. Strother's 
maternal grandfather, Absalom Chenoweth, was born in Wales of Welsh 
parentage. 

In the county of his nativity Joshua Baldwin was reared and in early life 
learned the tanner's trade. When a young man of about twenty-eight years 
he came to Ohio and entered a section of land on Buck creek, in Champaign 
county. He then returned to West Virginia and married Eleanor Cheno- 
weth, whom he brought as a bride to Ohio. To the improvement and culti- 
vation of his land he devoted his earnings. He was for a short time in 
the war of 181 2, at the time of Hull's surrender, afterward returning 
to West Virginia, having exchanged his place in Ohio for one that 
his brother Joseph owned in the former state, where he continued to make 
his home until 1828, when he again came to Ohio and this time located at 
Zanesville, Muskingum county, for the purpose of educating his children. In 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 415 

October, 1836, he removed by teams to Hancock county and took up his resi- 
dence in Findlay, when the city contained but a few inhabitants, among them 
being Wilson Vance, a brother of Governor Vance. Here Mr. Baldwin en- 
gaged in the drug business with his son, Dr. \V. H. Baldwin, for a short time 
and then lived retired until called to his rest at the age of seventy-six 
years. He was a local preacher of the Methodist Episcopal church and much 
of his life was devoted to the work of the ministry. Upright and honorable 
in all the relations of life, he commanded the respect and confidence of those 
with whom he came in contact and left behind him an honorable record, well 
worthy of perpetuation. In his family were the following children : Will- 
iam H. ; Amy Jane, wife of Charles W. O'Neal, a prominent attorney; Ab- 
salom C. ; Sarah A ; Eleanor, wife of A. H. Hyatt, a leading merchant of 
Findlay; Malinda, who first married Joseph Vance, a nephew of Governor 
Joseph Vance, and for her second husband married Henry Porch, who was 
one of the first to utilize natural gas in the county ; and Henry and Eliza, who 
both died in childhood. All of the family are now deceased with the excep- 
tion of Mrs. Strother. She was educated in the schools of Zanesville and was 
about seventeen years of age when she accompanied her parents on their re- 
moval to Findlay. Here she was first married in 1837 to Arnold F. Merriam, 
a cousin of Stephen A. Douglas. He was educated at Brandon, Vermont, 
and became one of the prominent attorneys of Findlay in early days. By 
this union there were born three children: Sarah Jane, wife of John Schell; 
Emily C., widow of John C. Kemble; and William D., who died at the age 
of nine years. 

About seven years after the death of her first husband ]\Irs. Strother 
married Judge R. L. Strother, who was born in Hardy county, W^est Vir- 
ginia, and came to Hancock county about 1828, being one of the promi- 
nent early settlers of this locality. At one time he owned some of the land on 
which the city of Findlay now stands and he bore a very active and influ- 
ential part in public affairs, serving as district judge for some years. He died 
in 1874 and in his death the community realized that it had lost one of its most 
valued citizens. By her second marriage Mrs. Strother has three daughters, 
Mrs. Sidney Shuck, Mrs. Eva A. Strickler and Eleanor Cheneweth, who 
died at three years of age. 

In 1 83 1 Mrs. Strother joined the First Methodist Episcopal church of 
Zanesville, and has since taken a very active part in the work of that de- 
nomination, serving as president of the Home Missionary Society. Tem- 
perance Avork, however, has also claimed much of her attention and she be- 
came a charter member of the first Good Templar organization founded in 



41 6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Findlay, and also a charter member of the Daughters of Temperance. She 
took the pledge when only eighteen years of age and has never broken it. 
To-day she is president of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, No. 
I. She led out a band of crusaders in Findlay and assisted in the organiza- 
tion of the State Union at Spring-field and organized the societies in Han- 
cock county under the name of the Temperance Alliance. She has attended 
most of the state conventions of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union 
during the existence of that great organization, and in 1902 was the oldest 
member to make a report at the convention in Toledo. She has filled all 
the offices in the society and is called the mother of the movement in Findlay. 
The state organization sent her as a delegate to the World's Union in London, 
England. She is well known all over the country as one of its most active 
and earnest temperance workers and a woman whose life has been devoted to 
those enterprises calculated to promote the moral and social welfare of the 
community. During the entire Civil w^ar, with the exception of three months, 
she was president of the Soldiers' Aid Society and she is now a member of the 
Woman's Relief Corps at Findlay, of which she was the first chaplain. Her 
life has been a most exemplary one and she has ever supported those move- 
ments calculated to uplift and benefit humanity, while her own high moral 
worth is deserving of the highest commendation. 

ISAAC THOMPSON. 

Many years have passed since this gentleman came to Hancock county, 
and he is therefore numbered among her honored pioneers as well as leading- 
citizens. He has been actively and prominently identified with the upbuild- 
ing and progress of Orange township, and his name is inseparably connected 
with many events and enterprises which have contributed to the development 
of his community. A native son of the Buckeye state, his birth occurred in 
Marlborough township. Stark county, Ohio, on the 25th of February, 182S. 
His. father, David Thompson, was a native of Loudoun county, Virginia, 
and when about ten years of age he accompanied his parents on their removal 
to Columbiana county, Ohio, the family locating near Fairfield, where he 
was taught the work of the farm in all its departments. The latter's father, 
Isaac Thompson, was also a native of the Old Dominion state, but in an early 
day he located in Columbiana conuty, and he lived to the extreme old age 
of one hundred and six years. He was of Quaker origin. 

The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Eliza McCoy, and 
her birth occurred near New Lisbon, Columbiana county, Ohio, where she was 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 417 

reared to mature years. ]n the county of her nativity she gave her hand in 
marriage to David Thompson, and this young couple immediately removed 
to Stark county, this state, taking up their abode on a farm in the dense woods. 
The husband immediately entered eighty acres of land, which in time he 
cleared and improved, but nine years later he sold that place and came to 
Hancock county, where he located in section 20, Orange township, being the 
second person to secure land in this locality. Again he was obliged to un- 
dertake the arduous task of clearing and developing land, but as the years 
went by he succeeded in placing his fields in an excellent state of cultivation, 
and on this valuable homestead he spent the remainder of his life, entering 
mto eternal rest in 1854, at the age of fifty-six years. Both he and his wife 
w^ere members of the Disciples church, and the latter was called to her final 
rest when she had reached the fifty-sixth milestone on the journey of life, in 
1861. Unto this worthy pioneer couple were born ten children, three daugh- 
ters and seven sons, and all grew to years of maturity, but only two of the 
number are now living-, the brother being S. P. Thompson, who is serving as 
circuit judge of Jasper and Newton counties, Indiana. 

Isaac Thompson, the other surviving member of this once large family, 
was the second child and eldest son in order of birth. He was but five years 
of age ^^•hen he was brought by his parents to Hancock county. The school 
which he attended was a primitive log structure, and he had reached his fif- 
teenth year ere he was privileged to enjoy the advantages to be secured even 
in this rude structure, while his school life covered a period of only fifteen 
months. However, he has greatly added to this meager training by keeping 
himself in constant touch with the movements of the outside world and by 
reading and observation, and is now a well informed man. Early in life he as- 
sisted his father in clearing and improving the homestead farm, and in addi- 
tion to this work and improving a farm for himself, later he also taught school 
during the winter months for about six years. After his marriage he located 
on the farm which still continues to ])e his liome. and all the accessories and 
improvements on this novv \alua1)le estate stand as monuments to his thrift 
and business ability. At one time he was the owner of two hundred and 
eighty acres, but as his children have started in life for themselves he has 
given to them portions of his land until he has now only one hundred and twen- 
ty acres. Eight oil wells have been drilled on his farm, seven of which have 
been good producers and they now yield about forty-eight barrels a month. 
For a period of six years Mr. Thompson served as a justice of the peace, for 
thirteen years was township clerk, was township treasurer for about four- 
teen years, for a similar period ser\-ed as supervisor, was also a ditch super- 



41 8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

visor, and for the past eighteen years has been a notary pubhc. He has also 
settled about fifty estates, and has acted as guardian for live persons. His 
life has been a busy and useful one. and in the discharge of both his public 
and private duties he has won the respect and esteem of all with whom he 
has come in contact. 

The marriage of Mr. Thompson ^vas celebrated on the 24th of October, 
1849, wdien Miss Louisa McKinley became his wife. She is a relative of 
ovu" martyred president, William McKinley. and is of Irish descent, her 
grandparents having emigrated from the Green Isle of Erin to the United 
States. Her death occurred on the 31st of December, 1888, after becoming 
the mother of six children, concerning whom the following domestic record 
is furnished : Leticia E. married Bateman Zoll and is now deceased ; Mary 
J. is the wife of Jesse T. Crawford, and they have one son, Ray D. ; David 
F. married Clara E. Buckley and they have two children living, Bertha and 
Jesse; Jay Allen married Mary Ellen Hall, and they have two children liv- 
ing, Lulu May and Cecil D. ; Willie H. is single; Chester E. married Mary 
Maude George and they have one son, Otho G. 

Mr. Thompson's religious afiiliations are with the Christian church, 
of which he has long been a valued member. Lniformly respected and ven- 
erated amid a large circle of friends, he is now spending the evening of life 
quietly at his pleasant home in Orange township. 

W. M. METZLER, M. D. 

One of the eminent followers of yEsculapius, the ancient, and an orna- 
ment to that time-honored and most beneficent profession which can occupy 
the field of human endeavor, is Dr. W. M. Metzler, a young but very suc- 
cessful practitioner of Vanlue, Hancock county, Ohio. His father, Henry H., 
was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, and he married Caroline A. Reed, 
who was born in Hancock county, and belonged to a family long identified 
with the history of the county. The Metzlers came into this county in 1850 
and located in Liberty tow^nship. Henry H. was clerk of the township and 
also its treasurer. For several years he w-as in the grocery business at Find- 
lay and was a clerk for Lemuel McMannis for three years ; he was in business 
for himself for eleven years and bore an excellent reputation in all the lines 
of his endeavor. At the outbreak of the Civil war he enlisted, in 1861, be- 
coming a member of Company F, Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry; he 
was taken prisoner at the battle of Chickamauga and was exchanged in 1864. 
He died April 30, 1892, and his wife passed away August 13, 1899. They 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 419 

were the parents of seven children, all of whom are living and filling honor- 
able places in the various walks of life. 

The subject of this biography had his birth in Liberty township, Han- 
cock county, September 21, 1866, and he was reared and educated there, 
graduating in the Findlay high school. He was then employed for some time 
in the railway mail service, but having determined to take up the profession 
of medicine he entered the Starling Medical College and received his degree 
of Doctor of Medicine in 1895. The following year he began the practice of 
his calling in Vanlue and has since gained a very profitable patronage; his 
methods of practice being based upon the "Regular" school of medicine. In 
the line of his profession he is a member of the Hancock county Medical So- 
ciety, and fraternally belongs to the Knights of Pythias. 

In the month of February, 1902, Dr. Metzler was married to Miss Lola 
Cross, who was born in Amanda township in 1877, the daughter of Henry 
and Octavia Cross. Henry Cross, now deceased, was one of the well known 
and respected men of Amanda township, whose well tilled farm of sixty acres 
is situated a short distance west of Vanlue. There his birth occurred on the 
4th of February, 1841 ; his parents were Charles and Esther (Smaltz) Cross, 
the former a native of Maryland and the latter born in Fairfield county, Ohio ; 
the family came to this county in 1839 and settled on the property which now 
belongs to Mrs. Octavia Cross. Henry Cross was a faithful member of the 
United Brethren church and in its belief he died, April 23, 1888. His mar- 
riage to Octavia, the daughter of William and Octavia Brown, occurred May 
II, 1865 ; she was a native of Big Lick township, her natal day being February 
19, 1842. Of this marriage there were eight children and five of them are yet 
living: Effie R., Lola A., Bertha I., Forest G., and Morris E. 

CHARLES J. KRAUSS. 

This prominent representative of the agricultural interests of Hancock 
county resides just outside the city limits of the city of Findlay, on the 
Blanchard road, in Marion township, on a farm containing one hundred and 
ninety-five acres of valuable land, and upon which is situated one flowing gas 
well, which he sunk himself, and which furnishes gas for his own consump- 
tion. Mr. Krauss was born in Baden, Germany, on the 5th of May, 1827. 
His parents were George A. and Mary E. (Keller) Krauss, the former a 
manufacturer of soap and candles at Baden, and still living. The subject of 
this sketch upon attaining his majority emigrated to this country and located 
in Buffalo, New York, the year being 1848, where he remained but a few 



420 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

months, and during which time he was employed in a tannery. The same 
year he removed to Putnam county, Ohio, where he gave his attention to 
learning the wagon-maker's trade. In 1852, however, he lesolved to join 
the ranks of the farming class, and purchasing a farm of fifty-four acres, he 
began its cultivation. In 1858 he removed to his present location, where he 
purchased one hundred and eighteen acres of land, and afterwards added 
seventy-seven more. Besides this extensive farm he invested in an- 
other parcel of land, for which he paid $2,600, and in five years it had in- 
creased in value so as to bring the sum of $14,400. The success of Mr. 
Krauss is largely due to the fact that he is a man of good judgment and 
shrewd foresight. In 1851 he married Nancy Krebs, and to this lady were 
born two children, Mary E. and William T. Both the children and their 
mother are now deceased, the mother dying in 1854. In 1856, for his sec- 
ond wife, Mr. Krauss chose Mrs. Glauner, a widow whose rjame before her 
first marriage was Annie Snyder. This marriage resulted in four children, 
the mother of whom died in 1881. She was a woman of most estimable dis- 
position and many noble traits of character. William J., one of the sons, 
married Miss Libbie Aultman, of Marion township, and now resides in the 
county, engaged in farming. Mr. Krauss takes great pride in his surround- 
ings. In 1889 he built upon his farm the present beautiful and commodious 
house, furnishing it with all the modern conveniences. He has been hon- 
ored with the various township oflices in the gift of his people. Fraternally 
he is a worthy member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which 
organization he is a charter member of Golden Rule Encampment. Mr. 
Ivrauss has retired from the cares and worries of an active business life, 
and is enjoying the comforts which should come as the cap sheaf of a life 
of worthy industry. 

JOHN M. BARR. 

As a citizen and substantial business man of Findlay no one stands 
liigher in the community than Mr. Barr, president of the Citizens' Gas Light 
& Coke Company. He has been closely identified with the business interests 
of the city and has been an important factor in the advancement of its ma- 
terial and industrial progress, giving liberally of his time, means and thought 
to insure the prosperity of the place, and being also a worthy representative 
of one of the pioneer families of Hancock county, of which he is a native son. 

Mr. Barr was born in Findlay, on the 27th of June, 1849, the son of 
James H. and Mary (Shaw) Barr, the former of whom was born in Fairfield 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 421 

county, Ohio, becoming one of the early settlers of Hancock county, where he 
was honored for his sterling character and his marked ability. He located in 
Findlay and had the distinction of being the first judge of probate elected 
in the county, serving three terms in this office and also having been incumb- 
ent of the position of county auditor in the early days. He was a man of 
profound judgment and inflexible integrity, was a prominent and influential 
citizen and impressed himself strongly on the community where he passed 
so many years of his life, being summoned into eternal rest on the ist of Sep- 
tember, 1862, at the age of fifty years. His wife, who was likewise born in 
Fairfield county, passed away July 20, 1882, at the age of fifty-seven years. 
Judge Barr was a son of John Barr, who was born in Pennsylvania, whence 
he removed to Fairfield county, Ohio, in the early pioneer epoch, and there 
passed the residue of his life. 

John M. Barr, the immediate subject of this sketch, was reared and 
educated in his native city, and w^hen seventeen years of "ge, in 1866, he 
went to New York city and took a position as a house salesman in a whole- 
sale hat establishment, being thus employed for a decade. In 1876 he re- 
turned to Findlay, where he was engaged in various business enterprises until 
1881, when he became associated with his father-in-law, Hiram J. Starr, in the 
grain and live stock business, in Wyandot county, thus continuing operations 
for about five years and maintaining his home in Carey. In 1887 he returned 
to Findlay and became associated with others, under the firm name of Waltz, 
Barr & Company, in the leasing of the Lake Erie & Western elevators. The 
partnership \vas dissolved at the exiration of three years and Mr. Barr there- 
after retained the elevators and carried on an individual grain business until 
the plant was destroyed by fire. Fie then accepted the position of manager 
of the Findlay Electric Light Company, retaining this incumbency for two 
years and resigning the same to enter upon his able administration as post- 
master of Findlay, during Cleveland's second term. He did much to improve 
the service and facilities of the local postoffice business and his regime con- 
tinued for four and one-half years. He then associated himself with W. N. 
Coons, now of Cleveland, in purchasing from the city the local gas plant, 
and he was made president of the company. He has since been incumbent of 
this executive oflice and his wase business policy has done much to further the 
success of the enterprise. Fie has ever shown a lively interest in all that 
concerns the general welfare and the legitimate advancement of the com- 
munity, and his aid and influence have been invariably given to worthy en- 
terprises for the pnljlic good. Mr. Barr is a stalwart Democrat in his political 



422 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

pruclixities, and he has served as a member of the city council and also of the 
library board. 

On the 30th of August, 1877, at Carey, Ohio, was solemnized the mar- 
riage of Mr. Barr to Miss Laura P. Starr, the daughter of Hiram J. Starr. 
The family is prominent m the social life of the city, and the attractive home, 
at 200 West Front street, is a center of refined hospitality. 

WILLIAM M. NEWHOUSE. 

Well known in Hancock county, William M. Xewhouse is a worthy 
representative of the farming interests and a man whose connection with 
the progress and development of Hancock county has been disinterested 
and honorable in the extreme. At this period of writing he is prosperous 
farmer, residing in Washington township, owning and operating a valuable 
farm of one hundred and thirty-seven acres. The birth of Mr. Newhouse 
occurred in Carroll county, Ohio, April 14, 1849. His father was James 
Newhouse; his mother was Susana S. May. He grew to manhood in his na- 
tive county, engaged in the occupations and pleasures that come to the average 
country boy, receiving an indifferent education in the common schools of that 
time. Upon arriving at maturity he adopted farming as his life work, which 
he has continued to follow to tlie present time. With the exception of five 
years he has always worked on the same farm, that which his father owned 
before him. He is reputed to be one of the very best farmers in Washington 
township, taking the greatest pride in adopting new methods in the culture 
of his lands, and keeping the improvements on his farm in the best of order. 
Mr. Newhouse was the prime mover in the organization of what is known as 
the Farmers Mutual Insurance Company of Hancock county, of which or- 
ganization he was president for a period of six years. December 19, 1876, 
he was united in marriage to Mary, daughter of Henry and Katherine Brown, 
and born in Washington township, January 7, 1851. She is the mother of 
an interesting family, as follows: Jennie M., born August 30, 1877; Ada 
D., bom March 8, 1880; Clara M., born March 30, 1884; and Riley E., De- 
cember 5, 1885. Mrs. Newhouse is a member of one of the pioneer families 
of the county, and one which has been vei-y prominently connected with its 
development. William M. Newhouse's father is a native of Carroll county, 
Ohio, born October 31, 1822. His wife, Susana May, claims nativity in the 
Keystone state, where she was born July 18, 1823. They came to Hancock 
county in the fall of 1850, and located in Washington township, where they 
bought eighty acres which had been somewhat improved. To this tract they 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 423 

soon added another of fort)^ acres, the whole of which James continued to 
farm during his hfetime. He was a man thoroughly versed in the science 
of farming in his day, a fact which accounts for the proficiency of his son in 
the same line. In 1872 James Newdiouse caused to he built a commodious 
brick house on the farm, which is one of the most beautiful and practical mod- 
ern residences in the county. Politically he voted with the Republican party. 
He reared a family of five children, two of whom are now living ; the other 
member of the family beside our subject being a brother, Thomas New- 
house, elsewdiere mentioned in this volume. 

Mr. Newdiouse has by untiring industry and sound judgment won a 
merited success in all his undertakings, and is in all respects worthy the high 
regard in which he is held by his fellow men. He has made many improve- 
ments on . his place in the last four or five years, and now has one of the 
model farms of the county. 

REV. A. C. SIDDALL. 

One of the most highly regarded citizens of Van Buren, Ohio, is Rev. 
A. C. Siddall, who not only has gained the confidence of his own religious 
body, but has won a position of esteem in this community, wdiere his schol- 
arly attainments are only equalled by his usefulness as a Christian minister. 

The birth of Mr. Siddall w^as on July 3, 1868, in Amanda township, 
Hancock county, Ohio, and he is a son of John C. and Phidenia (Litzen- 
berger) Siddall, the former of whom was born on November 3, 1844, in Co- 
lumbiana county, Ohio, and the latter in 1846, in Hancock county, Ohio. 
John C. Siddall is a successful and practical farmer, who owns an estate of 
one hundred and sixty-seven acres of vauable land in Amanda township. His 
parents were Joshua and Mary A. Siddall, who, in 1848, moved from Colum- 
biana county to Hancock county. The family has long been prominent in the 
United Brethren church. 

Rev. Mr. Siddall was reared and educated in the common schools of 
his native township, and after finishing the common school course, spent four 
years in teaching in Hancock county and then entered Heidelberg University, 
graduating with honor in 1897. In 1890 he entered the Sandusky conference 
and ministry of the United Brethren church, and was assigned to the charge 
'dX. Nevada, Ohio, where he remained for one year, serving for the same length 
of time the church at Kansas, Ohio, and this was followed by a service of 
three years at Bloomville, Ohio. From Bloomville he went to Bascom, 
Ohio, and three years later was transferred to Van Buren, where he is most 



424 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

acceptably serving his third year. This church was organized in 1866, and 
was built in 1868. Under his charge it has been strengthened until its mem- 
bership reaches almost two hundred, with a flourishing Sunday-school of two 
liundred and sixty-four members. This is one of the encouraging charges in 
the conference and the church property here is valued at six thousand dollars. 
Rev. Mr. Siddall occupies the position of statistical secretary of the San- 
dusky conference. 

In 1890 Rev. Mr. Siddall was united in marriage with Miss Rose L. 
Shuck, who is a daughter of Benjamin and Sarah Shuck and who was born 
on March 10, 1870, in Amanda township. To this union there were four 
children: Judson C, born May 18, 1892; Ruth M., born August 21, 1893; 
Esther C, born June 16, 1895; and Alcenas C, born June 4, 1897. 

As a pulpit orator, Rev. Mr. Siddall is a speaker of great power, and an 
expounder of clearness. His church in him has a preacher of great value, 
one who does not confine his Christian labors to his own denomination, but 
extends his influence through the community. His pleasant personality wins 
many to his cause, while his exemplary life sets an example which works for 
the good of others. 

ABNER L. DAVIS. 

Abner L. Davis was born on a farm four miles east of Findlay, August 
20, 1849. His remote ancestors emigrated from Wales to Virginia in the 
year 1640. His immediate ancestor, William Davis, moved from Cumber- 
land, Maryland, to Hancock county, Ohio, in the spring of 1834. 

C. W. BROOKS. 

This well known farmer and honored citizen of Pleasant township has 
for many years been prominently identified with the agricultural interests 
of Hancock county, and his many years of earnest toil have been rewarded by 
a desirable competence. He is a native son of the Buckeye state, his birth 
having occurred in Jefferson county, on the 3d of March, 1838, and he is a 
son of Elisha and Margaret (Woods) Brooks, the former a native of Vir- 
ginia and the latter of Ohio. The father, who was of English descent, fol- 
lowed the trade of shoemaking in early life, but after coming to Hancock 
county in 1845, ^^^ purchased three hundred and twenty acres of land, oii 
which he farmed during the remainder of his life, passing to his final rest in 
T855. The mother was of Irish ancestry. In their family were eleven chil- 
dren, nine of whom grew to years of maturity. 




II 





If 



hj^£t:.^^ray^<^^ 







^oA^^Q/jJ^yi^^^^ 




CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 425^ 

C. W. Brooks, the youngest in order of Ijirth of the eleven chilchTn, was 
reared to mature years on the parental farm, and in the common schools of 
the neighborhood he received his early ednCcHtional training. Choosing as 
a life work the occupation to which lie had been reared, he early engaged in 
agricultural pursuits and is now the owner of one hundred and sixty acres 
of fertile and \vell improved land. In 1862 Mr. Brooks answered the call 
for soldiers to aid in crushing out the rebellion in the south, becoming a 
member of Company G, Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, of wdiich he 
was elected captain, but by a general order the regiment was disbanded and 
the men assigned to other regiments. He served his full term of three years, 
and at the battle of Stone river he received a bullet wound directly over the 
heart, his life being saved only by a bag of salt wdiich he was carrying in a side 
pocket, wdiich so reduced the force of the ball that it shattered only one rib.. 
After his return from hostilities Mr. Brooks again took up the quiet pursuits 
of the farm, and has since given his attention to the tilling of the soil, 
his efforts in that direction being attended with a high and w'ell merited de- 
gree of success. 

In the year 1861 Mr. Brooks was united in marriage to Sarah A., daugh- 
ter of Cyrus and Betsey Hart, and a descendant of English and Irish ancestry. 
Unto this union were born the following children: EllsW'Orth, who married 
Rena Mackey; Norton, who married Ida Robinson; Mack W., who married 
Elizabeth Helfrich; Matilda, deceased; Eli, who married Clara Conine; 
Jennie, the wife of F. Heifer; and Lizzie, the wife of John Sheeter. The wife 
and mother was called into eternal rest in 1880, and on the 27th of June, 1888, 
Mr. Brooks married Elizabeth J. King, who was born in Portage towmship, 
Hancock county, in i8z}.4, a daughter of William and Elizabeth King. The 
father w?as a man of great business ability, and w^as a large stock dealer and 
land owner, owning and operating two hundred acres of fine land. He be- 
came a resident of Hancock county as early as 1842, and was long one of its 
valued and influential citizens. He was many times the choice of his fellow 
townsmen for positions of honor and trust, and among the many public ofBces 
wdiich he was called upon to fill was that of justice of the peace. His 
death occurded on the 6th of July, 1898, but his widow is still living. By 
his second marriage Mr. Brooks has become the father of one son, Wilbur 
K., w^ho was born May 24, 1889. In political matters our subject gives 
support to the Republican party, and he, too, has been called upon to ser\-e 
in various public capacities, having for four years been the efficient 
trustee of Pleasant towmship, held the office of treasurer for a 
similar period. On account of two townships being thrown out he was de- 



426 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

feated for county commissioner in 1880 but was elected to that office in 188S 
by a large majority, having been nominated in the convention on the tirst 
ballot. In 1900 j\Ir. Brooks was appointed superintendent of the Hancock 
County Infirmary and has made the most able superintendent the poor farm 
has ever had. Mrs. Brooks, the matron of the infirmary, is a woman thor- 
oughly litted in every wzy for the position she occupies. She was a leading 
and popular teacher in this county for t\\enty-five years prior to her mar- 
riage. The cause of education has also found in Mr. Brooks a warm friend, 
and for eight years he served as a meml^er of the school board. In 1883 he 
was elected vice president of the Hancock County Agricultural Association, 
thus serving until 1885, when he was elected general manager. In his fra- 
ternal relations he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows; 
was the first chancellor commander of McComb Lodge, No. 179, K. of P., 
of which he was also deputy grand chancellor ; and was formerly a member 
of John Howard Post, No. 154, G. A. R., in which he served as quartermas- 
ter and commander, but is now member of Stoker Post, of Findlay. Mr. 
Brooks is an honored and highly esteemed member of his community, and 
in the county which has so long been his home he has a wide circle of friends 
and acquaintances. 

WILLIAM STEPHENSON. 

William Stephenson, deceased, was for many years an honored and 
highly esteemed citizen of Hancock county, his time and energies being princi- 
pally devoted to agricultural pursuits. A native of Ohio, he was born in 
Knox county, August 7, 1823, his parents being John and Anna (Lee) 
Stephenson. The father was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, but 
as early as 1814 came to Ohio and settled in Knox county, where he was 
PAimbered among the pioneers and prominent farmers. His wife was a na- 
tive of Ireland but was only three years of age when brought by her parents 
to the new world. She died at the age of sixty-three years and he was sev- 
enty-four years of age at the time of his death. In their family were ten 
children, of whom nine reached maturity. 

In this family William Stephenson was eighth in order of birth. He 
was reared and educated in the county of his nativity, attending the common 
schools near his boyhood home, and aiding in the labors of the farm when not 
in school. He remained with his parents until his marriage, which important 
event of his life was celebrated October 18, 1849, Miss Mary Anderson be- 
coming his wife. Six children blessed this union, namely : Viola, now the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 427 

wife of Frank Bigelow ; Laura, wife of S. B. Sneath, of Tiffin, Ohio; Marian; 
Anderson L., a resident of Findlay; Adda May, who died at the age of fifteen 
years; and WilHam E., a resident of Findlay. 

Mrs. Stephenson was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, Oc- 
tober 14, 1824, and comes of good old Revolutionary stock. Her ancestors 
were of Scotch-Irish origin and were prominent early settlers of the Key- 
stone state. The first of the family to come to America was James Anderson, 
who was born in Ireland. His son, Patrick Anderson, whose birth occurred 
in Chester county, Pennsylvania, July 24, 17 19, served with distinction as a 
colonel in Washington's army during the war for independence, and was later 
one of the organizers of the Order of Cincinnati. His son, James Anderson, 
also fought for the freedom of the colonies in the Revolutionary war. The 
latter was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, and afterward became a 
resident of Washington county, that state. This worthy old soldier was the 
grandfather of Mrs. Stephenson. Her father, William Anderson, was born 
in Washington county, Pennsylvania, April 3, 1797, and was there reared 
r.nd married, the lady of his choice being Elizabeth McKibben, a native of the 
same county and, a daughter of Richard and Sarah (Robinson) McKibben. 
Her parents were also Pennsylvanians by birth. On coming to Ohio in 1828, 
William Anderson located on a farm in Licking county, where he made his 
home until called to his final rest on the 5th of October, 1839, when forty- 
two years of age. Although he followed farming throughout the greater part 
of his life, he was also a civil engineer and held the office of county surveyor 
for some years. He took a very active and prominent part in public affairs 
and was held in high esteem by all who knew him. Nine of his ten children 
reached years of maturity, Mrs. Stephenson being the third child and second 
daughter. 

For three years after his marriage Mr. Stephenson continued to reside 
in Knox county, but in 1853 came to Hancock county and for five years made 
his home in Blanchard township, at the end of which time he removed to the 
place wdiere his widow is now living, at 2610 North Main street, Findlay. 
Throughout his active business life he successfully engaged in farming 
and stock dealing and became the owner of two fine farms, one of one 
hundred and sixty acres and the other of eighty acres, both in the oil belt. 
In 1888 he erected the commodious and pleasant residence now oc- 
cupied by Mrs. Stephenson, and there he spent his last days surrounded 
by all the comforts which make life worth the living. He died Sep- 
tember 18, 1897, honored and respected by all who knew him on account 
of his sterling worth and many excellencies of character. He was an 



428 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

active and consistent member of the Presbyterian church, and in pohtics 
identified with the Democracy. His course in Hfe was ever such as to com- 
mend him to the confidence and high regard of all with whom he came in 
contact and he left many friends to mourn his loss besides his immediate 
family. 

JASPER T. RICKETTS. 

This is one of those quiet, unassuming men who make no loud pretentions 
but who if their past lives be inquired into will be found to have done their 
duty at ever}^ conjuncture to themselves, their neighbors and their country. 
Such an inquiry would disclose that during the dark days of the Civil war 
INIr. Ricketts was well to the front and fighting among the bravest of the brave 
for the preservation of the Union. Further inquiry would prove that after his 
return from the army he was just as faithful in peace as he liad been in war, 
making a good church member, a good public official, a good neighbor and a 
good farmer. It is men of this type, pursuing "The even tenor of their way" 
without ostentation, but always on hand at the right time and counting one in 
e\'ery emergency, that make every community and furnish that indispensable 
element known as the "honest yeomanry of the land." -Mr. Ricketts comes 
of pioneer ancestry, and his family has been identified with Hancock county 
liistory for more than seventy years. 

Rezin Ricketts, who was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, in the early part 
of the nineteenth century, was married in Hancock county, to Mercy Hess, of 
Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, and located in 1832 on eighty acres of 
wild land in what is now known as Marion township. As these were rough 
times the new arrivals shared with others all the privations incident to the pe- 
riod. There was much hard work, but also little play, a general deprivation of 
what are called the "comforts of civilization," but for these the pioneers man- 
aged to find substitutes and altogether their lot was not wholly one of hard- 
ship. Rezin Ricketts did his full share toward developing the new country and 
became prominent in local affairs, serving as township treasurer several terms 
and as justice of the peace for twenty-one years. He also acquired a reason- 
able measure of material prosperity and owned one hundred and sixty acres 
of land at the time of his death, in 1886. By his wife, Mercy (Hess) 
Ricketts, who died in 1872, he had three children: Jasper T., Mary and 
Martha. 

As will be observed Jasper T. Ricketts is the eldest of the family, and 
his birth occurred in Marion township, Hancock county, Ohio, Alay i, 1839. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

He followed the usual routine of farmer boys by attending school in winter 
and working on the farm "betw^een times," and was so engaged at the time 
the sullen mutterings on the political horizon foreboded the coming of the 
Nvar storm. When it broke in all its fury Jasper T. Ricketts was not one of 
those to shrink back, but took his full shar^e of responsibility by enlisting 
in Company H, Fifty-seventh Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served 
bravely until the close of hostilities. Mr. Ricketts's regiment was assigned 
to the army of the Tennessee, and he took part with it in all of its battles and 
skirmishes while present for duty. He w^as wounded at the battle of Corinth 
and in the fight at Kennesaw Mountain was struck in the right hip, but in the 
whole w^as fortunate in his escapes, considering the many and great dangers 
he had to face. When honorably discharged, August 14, 1865, he held the 
rank of orderly sergeant of his company, and was considered one of the 
dutiful and reliable soldiers of the command. 

It was during a leave of absence from the front, on March 3, 1864, that 
Mr. Ricketts was married to Barbara A., daughter of Jacob and Judy Bly, and 
bom in Marion tow'nship in 1842. The children of this union were eight in 
number, of whom six are living and two are dead, to-wit : William T., de- 
ceased; Harvey J. ; Lewis R. ; John B. ; Logan; Alta M., deceased; Sarah M. ; 
and Bertha. Mr. Ricketts is a member of the United Brethren church, has 
served his tow^nship as treasurer and trustee and belongs to Stoker Post, 
Grand Army of the Republic. Lie has owned and lived upon his present 
farm of one hundred and thirty-seven acres in Amanda township since 1873, 
has made a number of needed improvements and is generally regarded as a 
practical, painstaking and progressive farmer. 

ADAM W^OLF. 

The Teutonic race has been an important element in framing our nation- 
al commonwealth; its qualities and characteristics have been infused with, 
those of other races in the development of a strictly American type and the 
United States "willingly acknowledges its indebtedness to the German people 
for certain admirable qualities which are found among the representatives of 
the fatherland and their descendants. 

The above worthy representative of the Teutonic race is a wealthy and 
practical farmer of Washington township, where he resides on a beautiful 
two hundred acre tract, which is well tilled and well kept. As stated he is a 
native of Germany, where he w-as born April 17, 1836. When he arrived at 
maturity he left home, and in 1858 arrived in America, coming immediately 



430 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

to Seneca county, Ohio. Here he remained until 1865, when he removed to 
Wood county, where he was one of the leading agriculturists for a period of 
three years, cultivating an eighty acre tract. In 1868 he sold this farm and 
coming to Hancock county located on his present place. It is noted that this 
property was once owned by Abraham Deel, whose large log house remains 
to-day as a trophy of the early pioneer life in Hancock county. Mr, Wolf has 
since coming into possession of the property added many modern improve- 
ments, having built his present large and commodious residence in 1872. In 
the year 1865 he was joined in marriage to Mary Dippelhoper, a lady also 
of German descent and lineage, she having been born in Germany in 1844. 
To this marriage there have been born a family of eight children, five of 
whom are living: John, born in 1867; Jessie, 1871 ; Lottie, 1873; Emma, 
1878; Andrew, 1881. 

Information concerning the family history of the Wolfs is rather scant. 
It is known that they were prominent members of society in the German 
empire for a long period of years. Adam Wolf's father was Peter W^olf, his 
mother's maiden name having been Maria Gilbrick. Both of his parents lived 
out their lives in Germany, where the father died in 1884 and the mother in 
1863. 

In the respect that is accorded the men who have fought their way to 
success through unfavorable environments, we find an unconscious recogniton 
of the intrinsic worth of a character which cannot only endure so rough a test, 
but can also gain new strength through the discipline. It can be said of Adam 
Wolf that he is a self-made man in all which that hackneyed phrase means. 
He has always been an exceedingly hard worker, and the effort which he has 
put forth, coupled with a good head for business, has made him one of the 
leading men of his section. 

S. N. E. PRIDDY. 

Though a resident of Findlay only twelve years the above named 
gentleman is a native of Ohio, and has spent all his life within the confines of 
this state. He is a busy man and a useful one, as the various enterprises 
which have occupied his attention were such as benefit the community while 
bringing profit to the proprietor. Furnishing railroad supplies, milling and 
mining have been Mr. Priddy's pursuits, and in these during an active career 
he has met with the success that usually rewards constant labor and persistent 
perseverance. He comes of an old family long settled in Greenbrier county, 
Virginia, whence have gone forth so many pioneers for the new territories of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 43 » 

the west as they were opened up for settlement. John Priddy was an import- 
ant man in that part of the Old Dominion during; the last half of the eigh- 
teenth century. He was born in Greenbrier county in 1754, and in early man- 
hood displayed his patriotism by enlisting in the Revolutionary army, in 
which he rose to the rank of quartermaster. After the establishment of inde- 
pendence he joined the tide of western emigration and established himself in 
Fayette county, Ohio, as early as 1808. His son, William Priddy, was born 
in Greenbrier county, Virginia, in 1798, and also became a pioneer in Ohio, 
first of Fayette and later of Van Wert county, where he died in 1852. 
Among his children was Thomas D. Priddy, whose birth occurred in Fayette 
county, Ohio, August 15, 1820, and who came to Van Wert county with his 
father in 1835. He farmed there many years and lived to an advanced age, 
his death occurring in 1897. 

S. N. E. Priddy, son of the last mentioned, was born in Van Wert 
county, Ohio, February 21, 1844, and remained at home until he had reached 
the twenty-seventh year of his age. As he grew up he assisted his father in 
work on the farm and meantime obtained the usual school education. This 
was interrupted by the outbreak of the Civil war, in which Mr. Priddy went 
as a boy and made an excellent record as a loyal and patriotic soldier. He 
enlisted at Mansfield, September 11, 1861, as a private in Company H, Fif- 
teenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and remained with his command 
until February, 1862, when he was discharged for disability. In Novem- 
ber, 1863, he re-enlisted in the same company and regiment and remained 
until the command was mustered out in the fall of 1865. Mr. Priddy saw 
much hard service in the shape of marching, skirmishing and fighting, 
through all of which he acquitted himself so well as to obtain the entire ap- 
proval of his commanding officers. He took part in the severe and protracted 
campaigns from Dalton to Atlanta in the spring and summer of 1864 and 
fought" with his command in many of the engagements that occurred during 
that memorable march. After Atlanta surrendered Mr. Priddy was with 
the forces detached to look after the hot-headed Hood on his wild ex- 
pedition into Tennessee, and fought with his regiment in the bloody battles 
at Franklin, Jonesboro and Nashville, which last battle practically destroyed 
Hood's army. In 1871 Mr. Priddy left his father's farm and embarked in 
business for himself as a purchaser of ties for the Pittsburg. Ft. Wayne & 
Chicago Railroad Company. After spending two years in this employment 
he bought a saw mill in Van Wert county and the management of this in con- 
nection with a grist mill and planing mill, furnished him occupation for the 
next thirteen years. In 1882 he disposed of the saw mill but operated the 



■432 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

others four years longer and then sold them also with a view to engaging in 
different employment. In 1887 he embarked in the oil producing business 
in Allen county, Ohio, and has continued in this aiterprise with headquarters 
at Findlay since his removal there in 1890. He is also interested in zinc and 
lead mining at Joplin, Missouri, and has met with a fair measure of success 
in his various enterprises. 

During his residence in Middlepoint, Ohio, Mr. Priddy served five years 
as mayor of that city and was also a member of the city council and school 
board. During the erection of the normal school building at that place, Mr. 
Priddy was president of the board of trustees, having that work in charge. 
In December, 1872, he was married, at Middlepoint, to Elizabeth, daughter 
of John and Rachel (Coslett) Price, and has three sons and one daughter: 
John E., attorney at law; Edgar, an oil producer; Edith J., at home; and 
Vernon, at Amherst College. The family are members of the Methodist 
church and in politics ^Ir. Priddy's affiliations are with the Republican party. 

CHARLES H. THOMAS. 

Since an early epoch in the dcN-elopment of the northern part of Ohio, 
the family of Charles PI. Thomas (now deceased) has been numbered among 
its citizens. To know the early life of this family, we have but to picture the 
conditions common in Hancock county six or seven decades ago. Much of 
the land was wild, awaiting the awakening energy of civilization to trans- 
form it into richly cultivated fields. Schools Avere primitive and the curri- 
culum limited. The now thriving towns and cities were merely hamlets, or 
had not been founded, and the settlers were deprived of many of the com- 
forts of the older east. But they were people of resolute spirit and with de- 
termined purpose, well htted to the work of making homes in the wilder- 
ness. In this work the Thomas family bore its part. This family was one 
of the first to settle in Marion township, in this county, where they located 
on a tract of land received from the government. Charles Thomas was 
the first of the name of whom we have any knowledge. He cleared his farm, 
which he had received from the government, and at his decease passed it down 
to his son George. The latter, who married Katherine Paden, was a thrifty 
and practical farmer, who placed many a solid improvement on the old place. 
At his death he left the farm to his son Charles H. Thomas, the subject of 
this review, who was born on the 26th of August, 1853. Pie, like his ancestors, 
followed agricultural pursuits and was much esteemed by his fellow citizens. 
After he became of age he was elected trustee, treasurer and school director 




> 



St 






CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 433 

in Marion township, all of which offices he administered with credit to him- 
self and to the satisfaction of his constituents. He was a faithful and loyal 
member of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which for many years he was 
superintendent of the Sunday-school and a leader of the musical dq^artment. 
In November, 1874, he was joined in marriage to Harriet A., the daughter 
of David and Amanda Walter. The union was blessed with six children; 
George W., who married Gladys P. Moore, and to whom were born three 
boys, Charles K., Delbert L., and Glen; the second child, Tishie M., married 
Calvin L. Moore, an electrician, and she was the mother of one daughter, 
Lora B. ; the third child, David L., married Edith Nusser. The three younger 
sons were Benj. H., Charles G. and Edward R. After a rather short but 
eminently useful life Charles H. Thomas died March 29, 1892. His widow, 
Mrs. Harriet A. Thomas, was born in Hancock county in 1852. She is a 
lady of much refinement of character and many noble qualities, and is the 
center of a large circle of friends in her community. The farm upon whicli 
she resides contains ninety-six acres, is well tilled and everything about the 
premises shows the guiding hand of an experienced representative of the 
farming class. The fifth generation of the Thomas family are now residents 
on this farm, first settled by Charles Thomas, early in the century. 

J. E. HUDSON. 

As a man travels on in the journey of life and passes the prime of man- 
hood his strength and energy are somewhat lessened by age, which is an 
indication that it is intended that his last years shall be at least to some extent 
a period of rest. Not all past the meridian of life are permitted to put aside 
business cares, for through the lack of business ability or mismanagement 
they have not acquired capital sufficient to supply their needs in their de- 
clining years. Mr. J. E. Hudson is enjoying a well earned rest. Long 
connected with the agricultural interests of Hancock county, his careful man- 
angement and a husbanding of his resources have brought his a very desirable 
competence which now supplies him with all the necessities and many of the 
luxuries that go to make life worth the living. 

Mr. Hudson is now living in the city of Findlay, having retired from 
his farm in Cass township, where he was born August 8, 1841. His father 
was Moses Hudson, a native of old Virginia. His mother's maiden name 
was Elizabeth Winkler, she being a native of the Buckeye state, Wayne 
county, Moses Hudson came to maturity in Virginia, and from thence re- 
niovcd to W^ivne countv, Ohio, where lie remained but a short time, coming 



434 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

on to Hancock county, where he settled in Cass township. Here he pur- 
chased eighty acres of timber land, the date being 1837. The carving out 
of a home in this wald and primitive, section of the county at that time occu- 
pied liim tlie rest of his life. He was a hard-working, honest, industrious 
man. ^vho was always proud to remark that he w'as never in need of the law, 
having never sued or been sued before the court. He always settled his 
differences with is neighbors by the principle which has gained such a hold 
on the economic w^orld of to-day. that of arbitration. H the difficulty could 
not be settled in this manner he would rather seem to be imposed upon and 
accept the result rather than carry it into the courts. He was a highly 
respected member of society and a de\'out adherent of the Alethodist Episco- 
pal church. Of his eight children three of the five survivors are residents 
of Hancock county, Fannie. J. E. and A\'illiam, v\hile Lawrence and Lucinda 
reside outside its boundaries. The father of this family, after a long and 
useful life, passed to his rest February 13, 1887. He had lived a widower 
for two decades, his wdfe Lydia having died at a rather early age in 1847. 

J. E. Hudson passed his youth and boyhood on the old homestead, which 
was the scene of his boyhood labors and pleasures, and during wdiich time 
he acquired his elementary education in the common schools. The fact that 
he has passed his entire existence in Cass township makes him a figure of 
respect among his fellow citizens. Flis character is beyond reproach, and in 
the space of thirty-eight years he has succeeded, by honest dealing and indus- 
trious thrift, in accumulating' a very nice competence. He owns at the pres- 
ent time one of the finest estates in Cass township. It contains one hundred 
and sixty acres, and besides being unsurpassed as farming land, is situated 
in the oil belt of Hancok county. The farm has on it several producing 
gas and oil wells. Mr. Hudson retired from his farn*! in January, 1902. 
and removed to Findlay, where he expects to pass the remainder of his days. 
Mr. Hudson is proud to recognize the term self-made man. He secured 
his property by hard knocks. Fie literally dug out the one hundred and 
sixty acres which he now owns. In 1864 occurred the marriage of Mr. 
Fludson, the ceremony umting him to Miss Mary, daughter of \A''illiam and 
Jane Taylor, and to whom one son was born. William T. Mrs. Hudson was 
born in Washington towaiship in 1843. When William T. arrived at ma- 
turity he married an accomplished young lady. Miss j\Iinnie Rex. Mr. and 
^Irs. Hudson are consistent members and earnest workers in the Metliodist 
Episcopal church, in which organization ]Mr. Hudson has Ijeen frequently 
honored with offices nF trust. William T. also is an earnest worker in the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 435 

church, being at the present time a class leader. Politically the Hudsons 
have always been Democrats of the Jacksonian stripe. 

Mentioning briefly tlie main points in the history of Mrs. Hudson's 
family : William Taylor was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, 
as was also his wife, Jane Bell. They removed to Hancock county about 
1836, though Mr. Taylor had come to the county in 1832, and located in 
Washington township on a farm of eighty acres in its original state. 
Mr. Taylor was a hard-working, conscientious man, farming his holdings in 
a progressive and up-to-date manner. His land he received from the gov- 
ernment by the payment of the usual $1.25 per acre. During his lifetime he 
added by purchase to this original quarter section, and at the time of his 
death his estate consisted of two hundred acres. He was prominently con- 
nected with the public life of the county and was honored by his fellow citi- 
zens by being elected to the office of county commissioner. In this office he 
served for a period of six years with great satisfaction to his constituents. 
He was also connected with the minor offices in the township at various 
periods. The family which he reared consisted of eight children, seven of 
whom are now living, and six being residents of the county. He \\':as a 
stanch Democrat in politics, and delighted to further the interests of that 
party in every way. He was one of those choice spirits who carried his re- 
ligion about with him, and to whom the Methodist church in Hancock coun- 
ty owes a very great deal for its early engrafting upon the residents of the 
county. Mr. Taylor died March 2, 1886. his wife outliving him by eight 
years. They were both lamented by a host of friends by whom they were 
highly esteemed. 

SAMUEL HADDOX. 

Mordecai Haddox was one of the many aspiring young men who left 
the Old Dominion in the early part of the nineteenth century to seek their 
fortunes in the "boundless west." He was born of poor parents August 
10, 1805, left his native Virginia when scarcely past boyhood, and bravely 
faced the problem of carving out a home for himself among strangers in 
a strange land. Shortly after his arrival he became acquainted with Mar- 
garet Lanters, a native of Franklin county, Ohio, and to this lady he was 
married January i, 1829. Two years later the newly wedded couple found 
their way to Blanchard township, Hancock county, where, in the tech- 
nical language of the day, they "entered one hundred and sixty acres of 
uncultivated land." The prospects for settlers in 1831 were not so pleas- 



436 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

ing as they have since become as the result of growth and cultivation, but 
the raw material was there and only awaited the necessary labor for develop- 
ment. IMordecai Haddox and his wife were courageous and hopeful, not 
afraid of work and equal to the hard tasks they had set before themselves. 
By dint of ceaseless toil, good management, saA'ing habits, and the natural 
increase in values due to the state's rapid growth, the family in course of 
time succeeded in adding two hundred and forty more acres to their original 
investment. Mordecai became successful as an agriculturist, being es- 
pecially efficient as a stockraiser, and eventually obtained a standing as one 
of the reliable and trustworthy men of his community. Though a Whig 
in conviction, he was not much addicted to politics and never sought office, 
but occasionally, at the solicitation of his friends, he consented to hold sonje 
of the. minor township positions. He lost his wife by death January 20, 
1855, and after surviving her twenty-three years closed his own earthly 
career on the 30th of January, 1878. The family register contains the fol- 
lowing record of the names and dates of birth of his children : John, born 
January 28, 1830; Hannah, born December 26, 1831 ; Jacob, now deceased, 
born July 30, 1834.; Samuel, subject of this sketch, more fully noticed be- 
low; Margaret, now dead, was born April 9, 1840; and an unnamed infant 
wlio died in 1846. 

Samuel Haddox, fourth of the above enumerated children, was born 
on his father's farm in Hancock county, Ohio, May 30, 1837, ^"^^ ^^^^ spent 
his whole life in the neighborhood of his nativity. His time and attention 
have been devoted to agriculture, with which pursuit he became familiar in 
boyhood and has prosecuted with success in maturer years. The one hun- 
dred and sixty acres originally entered by his father is now divided between 
John and Samuel, the only two of the children at present living in Hancock 
county. The eighty acres falling to the share of our subject have been cul- 
tivated with skill and much improved in every respect, constituting one of 
the best tracts of the size in Blanchard township. His political affiliations 
are with the Republican party, though he usually confines himself to voting 
and avoids office-seeking, the only official positions held by him being those 
of supervisor and school director. He is regarded as a man of excellent 
judgment, who attends strictly to his own business and discharges consci- 
entiously all the duties of good citizenship. 

February 6, 1861, Mr. Haddox was united in marriage with Elizabeth 
Hoskinsons, who was born in Licking county, Ohio, February 13, 1841. 
The names of the children resulting from this union are thus recorded : 
William D., now deceased, born December 27, 1861 ; Laura M., born Septem- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 437 

bei- 8, 1864; Nina F., born December 23, 1866; Ostrilla G., born April 29, 
1869; Levi M., born December 8, 1871; Charles K., now dead, born March 
30, 1874; Hannah M., born November 5, 1876; Arthey A., born February 

23, 1879; Leneus L., born December 17, 1882; and Emma L., born March 

24, 1884. Mr. Haddox is a trustee of the United Brethren church, of which 
he and his wife have long been consistent members, and active in connection 
with the various educational and philanthropic work of .the denomination. 

T. B. KELLEY. 

The above named is a practical farmer of Blanchard township, who 
owns and operates a farm of eighty acres of valuable and productive land, 
which he cultivates by modern and up-to-date methods. He is a member 
of a family long resident in Ohio, whose representatives have been identi- 
fied with the agricultural development of their respective localities in such 
a manner as to take rank among the model farmers. The first of the name 
in this state were Ezekiel and Rachel Kelley, who came from their native 
state of Pennsylvania and located in the neighborhood of Fostoria, on a 
large tract of land purchased from the government. This couple had six 
children, five of whom are still living, and among this number is C. S. Kel- 
ley, who, at the time of his parents* arrival, was still a youth, his birth ha^-- 
ing occurred in Wayne county, Ohio, in 1825. After reaching manhood 
he purchased a farm of eighty acres four miles west of Fostoria, to which he 
subsequently added one hundred and thirty-five more, besides one hundred 
and sixty acres owned by him in Michigan at one time. This statement 
would indicate of itself that he has been quite successful in business, but in 
other ways also he impressed himself upon his community. He has ser\'ed 
as justice of the peace for twenty-six years, was county commissioner two 
terms and held numerous other offices of minor importance. He first mar- 
ried Mary Jane Hagerman. by whom he had one child, and by a second 
marriage, with Mary Bryan, his family was increased by the births of eight 
children, of whom the six now living are: Cornelia, J. B., M. D., C. C, W. 
M. and Mamie. Mr. Kelley died September 6, 1902, at Fostoria. 

J. B. Kelley, the second of his living children, was born in Washington 
township. Hancock county, Ohio, on the 15th of February, 1854. He grew 
up in his native place, attended the district schools and in early life became an 
agent of the Standard Oil Company, in whose employment he served seven 
years, and during that time traveled extensively in almost every state of 
the Union. After resigning this position he was employed two vears as 



438. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

collector for F. F. Collier, and in 1S87 I'eturned to his native county, of which 
he has since remained a continuous resident. His first investment in real 
estate was the purchase of seventy acres of farming land near Arcadia, and 
on this place he resided for twelve years. At the end of that period he dis- 
■ posed of his holdings, and in 1900 bought the farm in Blanchard township 
which constitutes his present homestead. April 11, 1888, he was united 
in marriage with Miss Jennie, daughter of Jacob C. and Magdaline Smith, 
of Crawford county, Ohio, and from this union there are two children : 
Blanch, born March 11, 1889; and Karl, born November 28, 1891. Like 
his father before him, Mr. Kelley is a member of the Democratic party and 
very earnest in the advocacy of its principles. He is a member of the school 
board and uses his influence to advance the cause of education, as well as 
every other measure which his judgment tells him will be for the best inter- 
ests of the people. 

JOSEPH T. BARTOOX. 

Having been a resident of Hancock county for more than half a century 
and during that time prominent both in business and as a holder of county 
offices, the gentleman above named is perhaps known more generally than 
any other citizen. And no one who once sees him is apt to forget him. as he 
has a remarkable physical development, being six feet six inches in height 
and large in proportion. A sheriff of these dimensions, armed with the legal 
power to arrest, is calculated to strike terror in the average criminal, and 
when Mr. Bartoon was in office he allowed ''no foolishness" around his place 
of business. He preserved law and order, and finished his two terms with 
the reputation of being one of the best officials the county ever had. The 
family is of German origin and was founded in this country l:)y John Bartoon, 
who was born about 1755, emigrated to the United States in early life and 
died in i860 at Lancaster, Ohio. His son, Jonathan .Bartoon, was born 
in Hagerstown, Maryland, in 1805, came to Ohio in youth and died in 1893 
at Benton Ridge, when eighty-seven years old. 

Joseph T. Bartoon, son of the last mentioned, was born on his father's 
farm near Lancaster, Ohio, April i, 1846, and was brought by his parents to 
Hancock county in September of the following year. He grew up on his 
father's farm in Union township and remained on the home place for forty- 
three years, engaged in agricultural purusits. In 1890 he was elected sheriff 
of Hancock county and served with so much satisfaction that his constituents 
gave him a re-election in 1892, and in all he filled the office four years. In 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 439 

1895 he was appointed inhnnary director of the county and has since dis- 
charged the duties of that position, so satisfactorily as to be retained con- 
tinuously in the office. In 1873 Mr. Bartoon was married at Gilboa, Ohio, 
to Sarah McDowell, but has no children. He is a member of the Elks and 
Eagle Post, No. 109, at Benton Ridge, of the Grand Army of the Republic. 
His right to the membership is based upon his service as a Union soldier of 
the One Hundred and Ninety-second Ohio Regiment, in which he enlisted 
at Fndlay in January, 1865, as a member of Company H, and was discharged 
the following September. In 1894 he engaged in the livery business at 
Findlay, which he continued until June, 1902. 

REV. ARTHUR M. GROWDEN, Ph. B. 

At the southwest corner of Main and Eilmore streets is located the 
Church of Christ, one of the attractive ecclesiastical edifices of the city of 
Findlay, and one wdiose work is being zealously and successfully carried 
forward under the effective care and supervision of its able and devoted pas- 
tor, whose name initiates this article. Mr. Growden is a man of line intel- 
lectuality, is devoted to the duties of his high calling and has consecrated 
his life and powers to the cause of the Divine Master and to the uplifting of 
his fellow men. Through his earnest efiforts the church in Findlay has made 
notable progress in both spiritual and temporal strength, and his ministra- 
tion has endeared him to the members of his flock, while his gracious person- 
ality has gained to him the esteem of all with ^vhom he conies in contact. He 
is a forcible and convincing speaker, definite and inflexible in his faith and 
unremitting in his attention to the pastoral duties lying outside of the regular 
services of the church. It is but fitting that he be accorded recognition in this 
publication, so that a permanent tribute to his work and his effective labors, 
may remain through the years to come, when he is called to "rest from his 
labors." 

Arthur M. Growden is a native of New Zealand, having been born in 
the beautiful city of Dunedin, the capital of the province of Otago, and the 
metropolis of the island, in 1861, being the son of Henry Growden, who was 
born in Cornwall. England, in 1825. his wife being also a native of the same 
county. He was an architect by profession, and in 1859 emigrated to Aus- 
tralia, where he did an important ^^•ork in the line of his vocation, having 
been the architect of many fine public buildings in the city of Melbourne, and 
also in New Zealand, and having been one of the most distinguished repre- 
sentatives of his profession in that section of the world. He was promi- 



440 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

nently identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, having been 
influential in the fraternity in both Australia and New Zealand. He died 
in Dunedin in 1895, in the fullness of years and honors. 

Our subject was reared to the age of twenty years in his native city, 
and there received his preliminary educational discipline. At the age noted 
he came to the United States and entered the College of the Bible, at Lexing- 
ton, Kentucky, where he completed the full biblical course in 1883, and was 
then ordained to the ministry of the Church of Christ. In 1899. he received 
the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy from Fenton College, at Fenton, Mich- 
igan. Mr. Growden assumed pastoral charge of the church in Findlay, and 
here his labors have been attended with unqualified success. He is well 
known and highly honored in corniection with his church work and in the 
best social life of the community. An earnest worker in the cause of tem- 
perance, he naturally gives his political support to the Prohibition party, and 
fraternally he is a popular member of the Knights of Pythias. 

At McMinnville, Tennessee, in the }'ear 1886, was solemnized the mar- 
riage of Mr. Growden to Miss Ella E. Walling, daughter of Jesse Walling, 
formerly mayor of that city. 

HILTON A. VICKERS, M. D. 

A man who has Avorked his way to an en\'iable position in his profession 
and has won the confidence and respect of a large part of the population of 
Findlay is Dr. Hilton A. Vickers. His father was also a physician, and it 
was from him the son inherited the ambition wdiicli he afterward found the 
means to gratify. The father, W. H. Vickers, was a physician in Coshocton 
county, Ohio, for about forty years, and his death occurred in 1870, in Old 
P'ainfield, Ohio, at the age of fifty-nine years. Two brothers of our subject, 
Victor and Lorenzo, served their country faithfully through the Civil war. 

Dr. Hilton A. Vickers was born in Old Plainiield, Ohio, June 18, 1857, 
at which place he lived until he was eighteen years old. A desire to go west 
led liim to venture alone to Henry county, Indiana, where he worked on a 
farm for about seven months, and then attended school at Dover Flill, In- 
diana, at the same time working for a farmer in order to defray his expenses. 
He then taught for two terms, and next, after four years, ha\-ing resolved 
to enter his father's profession, returned to his native state and studied medi- 
cine in the office of Dr. A. E. Walker, completing his course at the Columbus 
Medical College, at which seat of learning he was graduated in 1884. He 
first located in Evansburg, Ohio, where he built up a practice and lived for 




J-lUU^tzyr:^ )n.JO. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 441 

eic^iit years. He then pnicticec! his profession in Deshler, tliis state, for two 
years, and in 1893 removed to Findhiy, where he has ever since continned in 
the active practice of medicine. 

Dr. Vickers was married at Old Plain(ie](h Ohio, liis birthplace, in 1881, 
to Miss Sallie A. Smith, and they ha\-e had eight children, seven of whom 
are living, as follows: Archie V., Raymond F., Goldie, Ella, Bertha, Earl 
and Grace. The Doctor is a chapter Mason, of which fraternal organiza- 
tion he is a very popnlar member. Politically he affiliates with the Republi- 
can party, in the principles and doctrines of wdiich he is entirely sympathetic. 
He keeps up his professional interests outside of this city as a member of 
the Northwestern Ohio Medical Association, and is also an active member 
of the Hancock Medical Society, in Findlay Dr. Vickers has a very success- 
ful practice, ^^•hich is becoming more extensive and more satisfactory each 
year. 

HENRY SHEETS. 

Alathias Sheets, who founded the family of that name in America, was 
a blacksmith by trade in his native country of Germany, and was brought to 
this country in 1776 with the German allies of the British army. Just after 
the battle at Monmouth, New Jersey, Mathias and a companion deserted and 
started off in search of the American army. On their way they saw a squad 
of British cavalry in pursuit and to escape them hid in some hay that was 
contained in an old building near by. 

When the troopers, wdio had not seen the runaways, came near the place 
of their concealment, they thrust their sabers into the hay through the cracks 
between the logs, but fortunately did not reach far enough to touch the 
trembling fugitives. When the latter heard the squad ride aw^ay they lost 
no time in leaving their place of refuge, and eventually arrived within the 
lines of the Revolutionary forces. After the war Mathias Sheets settled 
m southeastern Pennsylvania, wdiere he reared a family in wdiich was in- 
cluded a son named Jacob. The latter married Christina, daughter of Nich- 
olas Boher, wdio served as a private on the American side in the w^ar for in- 
dependence. Jacob and Christina (Boher) Sheets became the parents of 
nine children, three sons and six daughters, two of the former and four of 
the latter still living. The second son, Joseph, was a member of Company 
I, Tw^enty-fourth Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry, with which he served 
creditably throughout the Civil w-ar. He was with General Banks during ■ 
his expedition up the Red river, and was on board a steamboat wdth his regi- 



442 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

ment \\hen the part of tlie army to v.hich he belonged passed the fortifica- 
tions at Vicksburg under the cover of a dark night. History relates how the 
forts opened a furious cannonade on the daring fleet as it passed, and one 
cannon-ball passed through the boat containing the regiment to which Joseph 
Sheets belonged. Later this regiment was sent around by water to Wash- 
nigton and from there to Shenandoah Valley, where in the battle with Early's 
army, October 19, 1864, Joseph was captin-ed and sent with others to the 
prison at Richmond. After being exchanged in January, 1865, he was sent 
to Maryland and later to Benton Barracks, St. Louis, where he died and 
was buried. 

Henry Slieets, the eldest of the children of Jacob and Christina, and the 
subject of tltis sketch, was born m Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, July 26, 
1824, and when only nine months old was taken by his parents to Center 
county, in the same state. They lived on a rented farm and there Henry 
spent most of his boyhood, attending district school during the three months' 
term in winter and helping on the farm at other times. In 1842, at the age 
of seventeen, Henry gained permission of his parents to go to Hancock 
county, Ohio, where he worked by the month on a farm owned by his uncle 
near the location of the present village of Arcadia, and in the winter taught 
the district school of that neighborhood. After spending eighteen months 
in Ohio Henry Sheets returned to Pennsyh'ania, where he remained until 
1847, ^'^'^^ tl''^" came back to Hancock county, which has e\er since been 
the place of his residence. For about nineteen years his two-fold occupa- 
tion was carpentering in the building season and teaching school during the 
inclement weather of winter. In 1859 he engaged in farming and the next 
year was elected to the office of auditor of Hancock county, in which posi- 
tion he served two terms of two years each. hi March, 1861, Mr. Sheets 
located with his family at Findlay, where he spent five years and returned to 
the farm near Arcadia, which has been his home from that time to this. 
After serving two years as examiner of county schools Mr. Sheets was ap- 
pointed, in 1870, to fill out the unexpired term of the county treasurer, who 
had left the county. In 1876 he was elected to the lower house of the Ohio 
Legislature to fill the unexpired term of Hon. A. LL Phillips, who died 
after serving half his term, and in 1877 he was re-elected to a full term of 
two years. 

December 18, 1851, was solemnized the marriage of Henry Sheets and 
Miss Martha, daughter of James Campbell, a prominent farmer of Han- 
cock county, residing in Cass township. Of the eight children born of this 
union two died within less than three weeks after birth and Mathew, one 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 443 

of the sons, died of typhoid fever at the age of twenty-eight years. The 
five survivors consist of three sons and two daughters, of whom Rufus, the 
eldest son, is Hving in JMarshaU county, Iowa, where he owns a flouring 
mill on the Iowa river. James IL, the second son, is a carpenter by trade 
and follows that occupation for a living. Homer, the youngest son, at- 
tends to the farming on the old homestead and, like his brother, James, is 
unmarried. Ellen, the eldest daughter, is unmarried and remains at the 
family homestead. Elizabeth, the youngest daughter, married Albert Kopf, 
with whom she resides at Eort Wayne, Indiana, where her husband holds 
the position of blacksmith for the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad 
Company, doing all needed repairing in his line for the road from Stony 
Island, near Chicago, to Bellevue, Ohio. Considering the fact that he had 
only four dollars when he arrived in Hancock county, the subject of our 
sketch may truly be said to have achieved a creditable success in life, but he is 
a modest man, and does not brag either of what he has or what he has done. 
At the present time his farm consists of one hundred and fifty acres, after 
Mr. Sheets gave the right of way to two railroads and to the electric road 
from Fostoria to Findlay. Since 1849 Mr. Sheets and his wife have been 
members of the Evangelical Lutheran church in Arcadia, to which three 
other members of the family also belong. In politics Mr. Sheets is now and 
always has been a member of the Democratic party, but he has never be- 
longed to any of the secret societies. He has aimed always to do his duty as 
best he could, Ijoth in public and private life, — to be just toward his fellow- 
man and to fulfill all the requirements of good citizenship. 

ISAAC W. COOPER. 

Isaac W. Cooper, retired farmer, and one of the solid and prosperot-s 
men of the community, is not only a native of the state of Ohio, but also of 
Hancock county, where he was born in Portage township in the year 1842, 
and he is a typical American farmer of the broad-minded, liberal and suc- 
cessful class. Mr. Cooper is of English descent. His grandfather (also 
Isaac W. Cooper) was born in England, but came to this country and settled 
in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, where his son, Amos Cooper, was 
born in 1808. Later, in the year 181 2, the grandfather, Isaac W. Cooper, 
moved with his family out into the great new state of Ohio, which a few 
years before had been a part of the Western Reserve country, and located in 
Perry county. When the war of j8i2- broke out he sided with the country 
of his adoption, and was a soldier in that war, fighting against the English 



444 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

and for the United States. Amos Cooper, father of Isaac W. Cooper, came 
with his parents in 1812, from Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, to Per- 
ry county, Ohio. Later, in the year 1832, he moved to Hancock county, 
C)liio, where he afterwards resided and Vvhere he died in 1879. Pie was 
a farmer all his life, and was an honored and esteemed citizen. Isaac W. 
Cooper was reared on the farm in Hancock county where his father lived for 
years, but in 1879 he moved to Allen township, where he resided until 1900. 
wlien he moved to Findlay to take life a little easier and enjoy some of the 
comforts of life for which he had worked and planned for so many years. 

In the year 1864, when more volunteers were called for, he entered the 
Union army and served four months in Company G, One Hundred and 
Thirty-third Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, as a private. He was 
in the fighting between Richmond and Petersburg during the Virginia cam- 
paign, and under fire for almost c month. After being mustered out at 
Columbus he returned home to Portage township, Hancock county, Ohio. 
Mr. Cooper belongs to Stoker Post No. 54, G. A. R. 

Mr. Cooper has been township assessor, having held that office for two 
terms in Allen township, and two terms in Portage township, and was trus- 
tee of Allen township for one term. Mr. Cooper is a Democrat. He is a 
member of the Presbyterian church and belongs to the Knights of Pythias. 

Mr. Cooper was married January 29, 1865, in Allen township, Hancock 
county, Ohio, to Amanda, daughter of Ephraim Trout, and they have two 
daughters living, as follows: Sarah E. and Phoebe C, wife of the Reverend 
Earl Kempher. Their eldest child and son, William Grant Cooper, died 
in April, 1900, in the \ery prime of his life, loved and honored by all who 
knew him. 

William Grant Cooper was born May 19, 1866, and was the pride and 
hope of his father's heart. He was reared on his father's farm in Allen town- 
ship, attending the country schools, and at the age of sixteen conimenced 
teaching school and taught for seven terms, and then, in 1886, he entered 
Findlay College and graduated in 1891. William Grant Cooper was not 
content to be a farmer; he felt that he was fitted for a professional life, and 
his great desire was to be a doctor — one of the noblest callings, and where 
he could do good to his fellow men and ease the suft'erings of humanity. 
After graduating from Findlay College he was made superintendent of the 
schools of Van Buren, Flancock county, and held that position for one year. 
Then he entered the Baltimore Medical College, at Baltimore, Maryland, 
and graduated with lionor in 1894.. He located first at Bowling Green, 
Ohio, but about three months later was appointed by the late President Mc- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 445 

Kinle)', then governor of Ohio, who recognized his sterhng worth and char- 
. acter, on the medical staff of the State Hospital at Toledo, Ohio, which posi- 
tion he held until March, 1900, when he resigned, intending to go to Findlay, 
Ohio, where his parents were to locate. One month later, in April, 1900, 
he died of typhoid fever. His was a sliort life, not quite half of the three 
score years and ten allotted to mankind, but in that time he had risen in his 
profession and was honored and beloved by his fellow citizens. He belonged 
to the United Brethren church, and had been superintendent of the United 
Brethren Sunday-school at Van Buren, Ohio. William Grant Cooper re- 
ceived from Findlay College the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy, and Bach- 
elor of Philosophy. He was a Knight of Pythias, and they had charge of 
his obsequies and passed resolutions on his death. 

ANDREW SAGER. 

Among the prominent dairymen and farmers of Liberty township, Han- 
cock county, Ohio, whose fine, well cultivated farm of two hundred and 
thirty-six acres is one of the most valuable in this locality, is Andrew Sager, 
who was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, on February 4, 1830. He is a son 
of Shem and Mary B. Sager. the former born in Virginia and the latter in 
Germany. They removed to Fairfield county in the days of its early set- 
tlement, and were prominent and worthy people. 

Andrew Sager was reared and educated in his native county. In 1854 
he moved to Hancock county, locating upon his present farm, purchasing 
one hundred and sixty acres in section 35, in what was then Findlay town- 
ship, later purchasing the additional acres to complete the present two hun- 
dred. In 1862, when his country asked her sons to come to her defense, our 
subject was one who loyally responded, enlisting on August 23, in Com- 
pany G, One Hundred and Eighteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and gal- 
lantly serving until the close of the Civil war, being honorably discharged on 
July 5, 1865. He was connected with the Fourth brigade and second divis- 
ion, and participated in the battles of Mossy Creek, Columbia, Franklin, 
Nashville, and belonged to the part of the army that pursued General Hood 
in the Georgia campaign. 

Upon his return from his honorable service in the army Mr. Sager re- 
sumed his agricultural pursuits and gradually enlarged his business, adding 
buildings and conveniences imtil he was able to engage extensively in a dairy 
business. This he has managed with success, keeping a fine strain of cows 
and selling his products with very satisfactory results. He is a systematic 



44^ CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

farmer, and much of his prosperity is due to his close and careful attention 
to every part of his large domain. 

November 15, 1855, Mr. Sager was married to Miss Susannah Powell, 
who was born in Liberty township November 2, 1834, a daughter of Samuel 
and Sarah Powell, and xVIr. and Mrs. Sager have four children : Raymond 
S., Laura A., Ilvie L and Mellie M. 

Mr. Sager is a public spirited citizen, who lives up to the demands of the 
day, and takes an interest in all enterprises which he thinks will be of ad- 
vantage to the farmer. He is a leading member of the United Evangelical 
church of Findlay. He is highly esteemed in Liberty township as a man of 
integrity and excellent business ability. In politics he is a Republican. 

MARTIN P. McGEE. 

The above named is forty-two years old, and nearly two-thirds of that 
time has been spent around oil and gas ^v-ells, in which business he has be- 
come an expert. Mr. McGee is entitled to the distinction of having worked 
upon the first producing gas well in the Findlay field, which started the 
great boom of 1884 and attracted so much attention all over the country. 
He is one of the seven living children of Michael McGee, who was born in 
county Wicklow, Ireland, in 1837, came to the United States when sixteen 
years old and located in Allegany county, New York, where he remained 
a number of years, but is now a resident of Indiana. 

Martin P. McGee \vas born in AHegany county. New York, March 22, 
i860, and when six years old was taken by his parents to Warren county, 
Pennsylvania. Martin grew up and received his early education in that 
locality, and in the sixteenth year of his age went with the family to McKean 
county, Pennsylvania, where he obtained work around the oil wells, which 
kept him employed until 1882, when he returned to Allegany county, New- 
York, where oil had been discovered during his absence. He secured work 
in this business and remanied there until the spring of 1884, when he went 
to Erie, Penns3'lvania. Remaining here but a sli<n-t time, however, he came 
to Eindlay in October of the same year, and until 1890 worked by the day. 
The day after his arrival in Findlay he started out to work on a gas well a 
mile east of town, on the farm of Dr. Austin, and two weeks later struck 
gas. This proved to be a "gusher," and was the first producing- well drilled 
in the Findlay field of northwestern Ohio. It was an event in the history 
not only of Findlay but the state of Ohio, as the subsequent discoveries of 
this precious fuel led to a growth and development of unprecedented rapid- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL LIISTORY 447 

ity. In 1890 Mr. McGee became a producer on his own account, and has 
since been one of the busy men of this locality, his interests being located in 
Wood. Sandusky and Hancock counties. 

In 1886 Mr. McGee was married at Findlay to Jennie, daughter of 
James McCall, and they have an only son named Frank. Mr. McGee is a 
Knight Templar Mason and has served in the city council, being elected a 
member of that body in the spring of 1901 as a representative of the Demo- 
cratic party, of which he is one of the leaders in Hancock county. 

J. B. KARST. 

J. B. Karst, a leading manufacturer of tile, used in the draining of land, 
has been an important factor in the development of Hancock county, his 
business being one closely associated with agricultural success. The modern 
farmer no longer struggles with vmdrained land and poor soil, and it is due 
to able and energetic men like Mr. Karst that no such conditions are longer 
necessary. 

It was in Germany that our subject was born, in 1829, and from there 
he emigrated in 1848, locating for a short tiuie in New York. From there 
it was but a short journey to Philadelphia, but it was in Hancock county, 
Ohio, that Mr. Karst finally decided to found his home. His parents, Peter 
and Elizabeth Karst, emigrated also in 1848, and it was in conjunction with 
his father that he made his first land purchase of forty acres, in Eagle town- 
ship. In the course of time they sold this land and bought one hundred and 
sixty acres in Orange township, and so great was their industry that in three 
years' time the}' had seventy-five acres fenced. This farm was the property 
of our subject's father, who at his death gave the son eighty acres of it. This 
land our subject retained for seven years, selling it to remove to Allen town- 
ship. 

Mr. Karst has always been a busy man and is one able to fill a num- 
ber of different positions in life. From 1854 to i860 he was an efficient 
grocery clerk in Findlay, and then he learned the carpenter trade, following • 
the same until 1870. He then located upon his present valuable farm of 
sixty acres in Liberty township. Upon this farm he discovered the clay in 
great abundance which he uses in the making of tile, and this business he car- 
ries on extensively, in connection with farniing. 

In April, i860, Mr. Karst was married to Miss Josephine Deitz, and 
to this union there were born thirteen children, eight of whom still survive, 
namely: Svlvester, Christina, Amelia, Clara. Frederick, Anna, Agnes and 



44S CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

John A. The mother of this family was boni in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 
J 841, and stiU survives to be her husband's companion and helpmate. The 
family are all members of the Roman Catholic church. 

Mr. Karst is justly held in high esteem in this community. He is a 
man of great kindness of heart and of generous impulses, and is ever ready to 
assist his neighbors with a helping hand. His financial position is very 
secure, as in addition to ihe valuable clay deposits on his farm he has some 
producing oil wells. 

LORENZO FIRMIN, M. D. 

On the 1 2th of October, 1901, there passed away at his home in Findlay, 
Dr. Lorenzo Firmin, a well beloved physician, whose man}^ years of faithful 
toil in his profession made his name a household word in the community. 
Nor were his influence and efforts conhned to his profession alone, for in 
all the varied activities of common life he took a helpful part as a loyal citi- 
zen, devoting his a1:^lities to the cause of progress. His loss is deeply mourned 
by all classes and the following brief account of one so esteemed will 
be read with unusual interest. 

The Doctor was born in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, March 31, 1808, 
and was the fifth child in a family of ten, his parents being John and Lovina 
(Green) Firmin, who belonged to good old New England families and were 
married in Wilbraham in 1800. The father was a shoemaker and under his 
direction the Doctor learned that trade during his youth, following it in the 
village of his birth until he reached the age of twenty-two. Coming to Ohio 
in T834, he hrst located in Richfield, Summit county, where he engaged in 
the tanning business in connection with Dr. Secretary Rawson, \\\\o after- 
ward became his father-in-law. It was at Richfield in 1838 that he married 
Clara Harriet Rawson, a daughter of his partner, and from that place they 
drove to Findlay on their wedding trip. 

After locating in this city Dr. Firmin continued following the shoe- 
maker's trade for a time and then took up the study of medicine with his 
wife's uncle, Dr. Bass Rawson, with whose name Findlay is very familiar. 
After completing his course of study and preparing himself for his chosen 
profession he opened an ofiice in I^indlay, but in 1847 removed to Benton 
Ridge, where he spent one year. As some of Findlay's physicians had en- 
tered the army during the Mexican war, leaving a professional opening for 
him here, he returned to this city in 1848 and continued in active practice 
until 1877, ^vhen he retired. During three years of this time, the present 







crrt^n^ , (>y urynj/ru 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 449 

well known ])hysician of this city, Dr. F. W. Firmin, was associated with 
Iiim as partner. After his retirement from medical practice our subject gave 
his attention to his private business matters, which were many and impor- 
tant. 

His first wife having died in 1891, Dr. Firmin was again married in 
1894, his second union being with Miss Mary B. Humphrey, a native of 
Findlay and a daughter of Jarvis Flumphrey. Her father was born in Sims- 
bury, Connecticut, in 1809, and was a son of Dudley Humphrey, also a native 
of that place and of English descent. In 1851 Jarvis Humphrey became a 
resident of Flancock county, Ohio, and after spending about six months in 
Findlay he located on a farm and throughout his active business life was 
engaged in agricultural pursuits, but his last days were spent in retirement 
in the city, where he died at the ripe old age of eighty-four years. His wife, 
who bore the maiden name of Julia Barber and was also born in Simsbury, 
Connecticut, died at the age of seventy-seven years. In the family of this 
worthy couple were six children, namely: Chauncey D., a fruit farmer of 
Hancock county; Marian, wife of George E. Cook, of Torrington, Connecti- 
cut; Ellen A., wife of B. O. Robinson, of Putnam county, Ohio; Justine, 
wife of John H. King, of Findlay; Jarvis S., a resident of Indianapolis, In- 
diana; and Mary B., now Mrs. Firmin. All of the children were born in 
Connecticut with exception of the last named. The father was an active and 
consistent member of the Congregational church and was a stanch Republi- 
can in politics. Mrs. Firmin received a good education in the schools of 
Findlay and for ten years successfully engaged in teaching, three years of 
this time being employed in the village school of Arcadia, and the remainder 
in other schools of Hancock county. 

As an earnest Christian, Dr. Firmin took quite a prominent part in re- 
ligious work, was one of the organizers of the First Congregational church 
of Findlay and contributed liberally to its support, although he did not be- 
come a member of the same until 1871, from which time he was one of its 
most active and faithful adherents. He w^as exceedingly generous and ben- 
evolent and was one of the first three men to each donate one hundred dol- 
lars to assist in organizing the Young Men's Christian Association here. 
Later when it w^as in need of funds to keep up current expenses, he made a 
donation of five hundred dollars, payable in sums of one hundred dollars 
a year. He also made a large donation of property to Oberlin College and 
his private beneficences were many. 

As a man Dr. Firmin was widely known and highly respected and from 
a local paper printed at the time of his death we quote the following as a 



450 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

just tribute to his memoiy : "lie was a man of marked mental and physical 
ability and energ}% and maintained his clearness of mind and largely his 
vigor of body to the very last, giving personal attention and supervision to 
all his affairs. During his career as a physician, when roads were poor, as 
well as the people of this county, he was known as the physician who never 
refused a call, no matter how dark or stormy the night, or how muddy the 
road. Throughout life he carried the same energy into all his affairs. Al- 
though he never sought or allowed offices to be thrust upon him, he was 
ever interested and active in all public affairs, and earnest in the best inter- 
ests of the community in wiiich he lived. In early life and until the can- 
didacy of Fremont, he was in politics a Democrat, but became a Republican 
with the organization of that party and so remained until the time of his 
death." He enjoyed that popidarity which comes to those generous spirits 
who have a hearty shake of the hand for all those with whom they come 
in contact from day to day, and who seem to throw around them in conse- 
quence so much of the sunshine of life. 

GEORGE W. PHIFER. 

A very successful farmer and stockraiser of Hancock county is George 
W. Phifer, who operates a fine farm of two hundred and forty acres in 
Liberty township, particularly well adapted to the breeding of Shorthorn 
cattle and Poland China hogs, in which business ]Mr. Phifer, by his unusual 
success, has gained quite a reputation. 

The birth of George W. Phifer occurred December 28, 1844, and he is 
a son of Emanuel and P^mily (Bowling) Phifer, the former of whom is 
a son of Jacob and Mary (Ellinger) Phifer, who came to Fairfield county, 
Ohio, in 1806, from Pennsylvania. Jacob Phifer was born in Hagerstown, 
Maryland, while his wife was born in F>edford county, Pennsylvania. By 
trade he was a tanner, and he followed this business in Pittsburg, and after 
locating in Lithopolis, Fairfield county, Ohio, he acquired considerable prop- 
erty. His family numbered five children, one of whom, Catherine, lived 
to the unusual age of ninety-eight years, eig'ht months and eight days. 

Emanuel Phifer Avas born in Fairfield county, Ohio, on March 14, 180S, 
and learned the tanning business with his father, following the same until 
1834, when he located in Flan cock count}' and entered a farm of eighty 
acres. His long residence in the same locality has made him one of the 
pioneers, who is most highly esteemed. He is a leading member of the 
Baptist church. In political matters he votes as his judgment indicates. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 451 

In 1830 he married Emil}^ Bowiing, who died in 1875. The children born 
to them were eight in number, five still surviving, namely : Sarah E. and 
Annie, who reside at home with their father, who is in his ninety-seventh 
year; Emeline; John S., who lives retired in Kentucky; George W. ; and 
Edwin, who is a civil engineer located in Richland county, Ohio. 

George W. Phifer was reared and educated in Findlay township, and 
adopted farming as his vocation. In 1872 he purchased one hundred acres 
of good land, removing to it in 1875, and in 1880 he began to raise Shorthorn 
cattle and a high grade of hogs, his success being encouraging' from the very 
beginning. 

In 1866 Mr. Phifer was united in marriage with Miss Almenia Insley, 
who is a daughter of T. F. and Emelia Insley, who w^ere old settlers in Mt. 
Pleasant township, but who finally moved out of the state. Mr. and Mrs. 
Phifer are both valued members of the Methodist church at Findlay, and are 
much esteemed by a large circle of friends. 

PHILEMON B. MORRISON. 

The narrative of a life which has been filled with useful deeds and w'ith 
duties well performed cannot lack interest, even to the casual reader or the 
stranger. Such a career has been that of Philemon B. Morrison, who has 
been an honored resident of Findlay throughout his entire life. His great- 
grandfather was William Morrison, and his grandfather, Alexander Mor- 
rison, was a native of the Keystone state, but subsequently came to Ohio, 
and here he devoted his energies to the tilling of the soil until his life labors 
were ended by death. John H. Morrison, our subject's father, was born in 
Uniontown, Pennsylvania, in 1802, and in 1836 became a resident of the 
Buckeye state, casting in his lot w4th the citizens of Inndlay. He became a 
worthy representative of the legal profession, and his name was a familiar 
one in political and professional circles throughout this portion of the state. 
The remainder of his days \\'ere passed in this city, where he closed his eyes 
in death in 1854. 

Philemon B. Morrison is indebted to the public school system of this 
city for the educational privileges whicli he \\as permitted to enjoy in his 
youth. In 1864 he embarked in the mercantile field, entering the stove and 
tinware business in this city, which vocation he continued to follow until 
1878. For the three succeeding years his attention was devoted to the retail 
furniture business, and on the expiration of that period he entered the foundry 
and machine business, to which he devoted his efi'orts for the following six 



452 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

years. In 1898 he entered the \'Ocation which has since claimed his time and 
attention, and in which he has met with a high degree of success, being now 
engaged in the sale of feed and builders' supplies, llie business is now one 
of the most profitable industries in the city of Findlay, and is a monument 
to the thrift and enterprise of the ow^ner, whose persistent purpose and dili- 
gence ha\e enabled hini to gain a prominent position among the substantial 
business men of the city. 

In Beaver county, Pennsylvania, in 1868, occurred the marriage of Mr. 
Morrison and Miss Rebecca C. Reed. Hie lady is a daughter of Samuel 
Reed, and by her marriage with Mr. Morrison she has become the mother 
of five children, three sons and two daughters. The Republican party re- 
ceives Mr. Morrison's active support and co-operation, and on its ticket he 
has been elected to many positions of honor and trust. In 1876 he became 
a member of the city council of Findlay, to which position he was re-elected 
two years later, serving in all for four years. In 1888 he was elected one 
of the water-works trustees, and while a member of the board the present 
water-works system was built, at a cost of three hundred and fifty thousand 
dollars. Mr. Morrison is also a director in the City Banking Company, and 
in all movements for the development and upbuilding of his town and county 
has been an active and tireless worker. 

A. W. STEVENSON. 

Few men have had more opportunity to thoroughly learn practical 
farming in all its branches than the wortliy citizen above named, and who 
at present is one of the representative agriculturists of Blanchard township. 
Like Jacob of old, whose story is so beautifully told in the book of Genesis, 
Mr. Stevenson had to work twice seven years for others before he was able 
to enter into his own as a proprietor of stock and land and all the other be- 
longings of a farm. While, like Jacob, the prize offered him as a reward for 
faithful service was not a beautiful Rachel, it proved valuable on account of 
the experience which was to be the basis of success in future ventures on 
his o\vn account. Mr. Stevenson is descended from pioneers who came 
into Ohio shortly after its organization as a state and through direct or col- 
lateral branches furnished representatives in the agriculture of various coun- 
ties. Originally the family was of Irish and German extraction, but the 
founders of the Ohio branch were George and Eliza Stevenson, who located 
in Champaign county during the first quarter of the nineteenth century. 
Among their children was Isaac Stevenson, wdiose birth occurred in Fairfield 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 453 

county, Ohio, in 1819, while his wife Ehza was born in Licking county in 
1830. They resided a while in Frankhn and moved thence to Spaulding 
county, where Isaac died November 11, 1888, and his wife on the 12th of 
April, 1872. 

A. W. Stevenson, son of the foregoing couple, was born in 1854, dur- 
ing the residence of his parents in Franklin county, Ohio, and went with 
them on their subsequent removal to Paulding county. In that locality 
he was reared and educated, and there he resided until the twenty-second 
year of his age. In 1876 he left the parental roof to face an arduous strug- 
gle for existence, as his only capital was a disposition and capacity for hard 
work. Going over to Hancock county, he secured employment as a farm 
hand with Charles Reese, of Blanchard township, and put in two years of 
faithful service on that place. At the end of that time he engaged with 
Jasper Dukes in the same line of work, followed by eight years of agricul- 
tural labor of various kinds on the farm of John J. Moffitt. In 1888 Mr. 
Stevenson concluded to make a change both in locality and labor, and going- 
over to Michigan, he embarked in the lumber business, which he followed 
with varying fortunes for seven years and then abandoned it to return to 
his original pursuit as a tiller of the soil. After sojourning a short time in 
Allen county, Ohio, with no definite results, he repaired again to Hancock 
county, where he found a safe and permanent anchorage on the farm in 
Blanchard township which constitutes his present homestead. He cultivates 
three hundred and thirty-two acres of land, which is valuable both on ac- 
count of its productive qualities and its high state of improvement, and it is 
devoted to general farming, including the cereal crops suitable to that local- 
iy and stock raising for domestic uses. As previously stated, Mr. Steven- 
son is a successful farmer, practical and progressive in his methods, pains- 
taking in his plans and cautious in his contracts. He enjoys general es- 
teem as a neighbor, is regarded as a man of reliability and integrity, and ful- 
fills every requirement involved in the duties of good citizenship. 

November 2y, 1895, Mr. Stevenson was happily married to Miss Katie 
M. McClure, a native of Gilboa, Putnam county, Ohio, where her birth oc- 
curred March 25, 1874. She was a daughter of Thomas and Alice Mc- 
Clure, her mother being a daughter of John J. Moffit, one of the original 
settlers of Hancock county. The latter's grandparents, Hugh and Hannah 
Moffit, were natives, respecti^ely, of Ireland and Wales, who emigrated to 
America in the latter part of the eighteenth centiu'y and located in Xew 
York. Their son Joshua was born in Chatham county. Xew York, in De- 
cember, 1774. and his wife Sarah was born in the same county June 6, 1783. 



454 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

The last mentioned couple removed to Ross county, Ohio, early in the nine- 
teenth century, and there on January ii, 1819, was born their son, John J. 
Moffit, who subsequently became an early settler of Hancock county. The 
latter's daughter, Alice, was born October 13, 1852, married Thomas Mc- 
Clure May 8, 1873, and l\'lrs. Katie M. Stevenson was their only child. 

Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Stevenson have had five children : Wilmer M., 
Alice B., Edith, Thelma and one who died in infancy. 

LEVI B. NEWCOMER. 

Every man to his trade. The city bred man says "The best farm ui 
Chistendom could not tempt me to be a farmer. The fact is that it ap- 
proaches the occupation of a gambler. He sows his seed in the spring to 
see it promise abundant yield only to watch its destruction by the ruthless 
storm. On the other hand he enters June with a despairing cry of 'no 
crop,' and passes out of July vv-ith the exultant whoop of '80 bushels, if an 
ear.' " Then the city man goes down town and bu}'s a block of stock upon 
which he has not the slightest idea whether he will make or lose. Such is 
life, and, as said before, every man to his trade. 

The gentleman's name which initiates this paragraph is a man who has 
"stuck to his trade," that of farming. He has lived to see his efforts in that 
line crowned with success. He lives on a farm in Big Lick township, which 
he devotes to general farming. He was born in Stark county, Ohio, July 
14, 1843, ^^^d is the son of Adam and Margaret (Bender) Newcomer. His 
parents were both natives of Columbiana county, Ohio, and came to Hancock 
county in 1852, after their marriage, where they settled in Big Lick township. 
They purchased' a quarter section of land, partially improved. Subsecjuently 
they prospered and added eighty acres to this original farm. In connec- 
tion w4th his agricultural interests Adam Newcomer operated quite ex- 
tensively in lumber, having a saw mill in those early days. He was a good 
farmer, a loyal citizen and a man of usefulness in his community. His re- 
ligious preferences induced him to join the Dunkards, in which body he was 
highly respected for his integrity and soundness of faith. He was the fa- 
ther of sixteen children, four of the eight now living residing in Hancock 
county. This family of children were reared in the fear and admonition 
of the Lord, and became useful members of latter day society. The father 
died January 21, 1897, his wife having preceded him by eleven years. 

Levi B. Newcomer was but a lad eight years old wdien he removed to 
Hancock county. He continued to reside with his parents until fully grown, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 45 5 

becoming familiar with tlie fields and meadows and assisting in the work of 
the home farm as he grew up. Dtiring this time he received a limited educa- 
tion in the country schools, and upon arriving at maturity was given eighty 
acres of timber land by his father, upon which he took up his residence. 
After clearing twenty-hve acres of this property he sold it and bought another 
eighty in a higher state of cultivation. He continued to im])rove this land, 
and in 1868 bought the farm which he now operates. Here he has erected 
first-class buildings of modern construction, and of commodious size. His 
dwelling house is a substantial brick structtire of thirteen rooms, including 
halls, Mr. Newcomer also has a holding of real estate in the city of Find- 
lay. In 1S63 he wooed and \von the heart and hand of Miss Mollie Thomas, 
who has presented him with eight children; Maggie, Henry. Clint. Fran- 
cis Diana, Jess, Louis and Sadie. Mrs. Newcomer died in February, 1901, 
and on the 9th of March. 1902, Mr. Newcomer was united in wedlock to 
Mary Keller. Mr. and Mrs. Newcomer are worthy members of the Dunk- 
ard chtu'ch, in Avhich he has J3een a deacon for thirty-five )'ears. During his 
residence in Hancock county he has ever held himself ready to engage in 
the activities of his district. Fie has served on the school board for ten 
years and filled other township offices acceptably. He has the reputation of 
being one of the best farmers in the county, and has the confidence and es- 
teem of his neighbors. 

EDGAR WILCOX. 

As far back as history records, the real strength of the nations of the 
past has depended not on the armed might of the warrior class nor on the 
subtlety and dominion of the rulers, but on those who have, figuratively 
speaking, been at the bottom of the great pyramid of civilization, those who 
have tilled the soil, sown the grain and reaped the harvests, by their com- 
munion with the forces of nature imbibing a power irresistible when used 
in the mighty conflicts for the betterment of the social and moral condition^ 
of mankind. And today the index of the true character and strength of our 
country is to be found not from inspection of the cities, the gathering places 
for the rich and the raljble, but in the vast stretches covered by the prosper- 
ous and highly cultivated farms, where men grow up to develop the best and 
highest traits of character. And in that excellent agricultural region of 
Hancock county, Ohio, one of the successful and highly regarded farmers 
IS Edgar Wilcox, a brief review of whose life deserves a place in this history. 

His parents were jNFartin and Charlotte Wilcox, the former a nati\-e of 



456 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

New York state and the latter of Virginia. At an early day they came to 
Ohio and took up their residence in Delaware county, where they became 
prominent citizens; he held the office of justice of the peace in his township. 
Martin Wilcox's death occurred in A]3ril, 1886, and his wife passed away 
in June, 1872; they had eight children, of whom seven are now living. 

Their son, Edgar, was born in Orange township, Delaware county, 
January 3, 1852, and is the only one of the family living in Hancock county. 
He was reared and educated in his native county and when yet a boy decided 
to follow agricultural pursuits, in which he has made an excellent success, 
now operating- two hundred and forty acres of good land in Amanda town- 
ship and conducting it in such a way as to l3ring good returns. He took 
up his residence in this county in 1879. On the 23d of January of the same 
year he was united in marriage to Miss Emma L., the daughter of Major and 
Sarah S. Bright; she was born January 23, i860, and was accordingly just 
nineteen years of age when she became a wife. Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox have 
three children, Elorence ]\I., Ijorn December 5, 1879; Edwin S., born June 
4, 1883; and Delcie B., born June 23, 1888. Florence is now the wife of 
Clarence Cross. JMr. Wilcox is a member of the board of education, and he 
and his wife are communicants of the United Brethren church. He has 
held various offices in church and Sunday school, and in politics is an ardent 
Republican. 

MATHEW :\r. ALEXANDER. 

The above named, one of the prominent and well known farmers of 
Hancock county for many years, is the son of Peter Alexander, an early pio- 
neer of Hancock county. He came to this county in 1848 and purchased 
one hundred and sixty acres of land, which he proceeded to clear, and upon 
which he placed many hue improvements, making it one of the best farms 
in the county. He was a prominent and practical farmer, a Democrat in 
politics and held nearly all of the township offices during some period in his 
life. He was born in Belmont county, Ohio, October 15, 1818. His father 
Peter Alexander, was a native of IMaryland, where he was born October 
15, in the year of the Declaration of Independence. January 17, 1805, he 
married Jane ]\Iitchell. born Septemlier 3, 17S6, and to them were born 
twelve children : Jennie, James. John, Nancy, Peter, Robert, IMathew, 
George, Isabel, Margaret. Betsey, and ]\Iary. ■Margaret Alexander is the 
only surviving member of this large family. Peter Alexander, the senior, 
was a blacksmitli by trade, and his son Peter also learned the same trade. 




0^^i,,^hjz^uj^ (^:>^ ^^>/^^^^2^?^.iik^^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 457 

but after his remoxal to this count}' he conlinccl his time entirely to agricul- 
tural pursuits. October 28, 1841, he was married to Nancy Hoffman, in 
Belmont county, Ohio, where she was born October 5, 1818, and by this union 
there were the foUowang- named children : Clark, deceased, born May 7, 
1843; JaiiCj May 30, 1845; ^"d Mathew M., September 25, 1847. Peter 
Alexander, Jr., died on the 19th of July, 1891, but his widow survives. Jane, 
the only daughter, married Jacob Franks, of Findlay, where she now^ resides. 
Mathew M. Alexander, the only surviving son, was reared in Hancock coun- 
ty and received an excellent education in the common schools. He has al- 
ways followed agricultural pursuits, and is one of the practical kind of farm- 
ers that always make that business a success. July 4, 1870, he married Cla- 
rissa E. Trout, who died in 1872, after giving birth to a daughter, Laura 
M., wdio is also deceased. 

Mathew Alexander has held various local offices, having for a long time- 
been supervisor of the township. He now resides in Liberty township on 
a tract of two hundred and forty acres of land, on which there are many oil 
wells. In 1889 he w^as unfortunate enough to meet with an accident that 
deprived him of the use of a limb, wdiich so incapacitated him for general 
farming as to make his retirement desirable. He, how-ever, made hay while 
the sun shone and in the evening of life finds himself in independent circum- 
stances. 

PHILIP WILBUR EWING. 

The gentleman above mentioned, who is at present clerk of Hancock 
county, is a sample of the class of men who come up from the country to 
infuse new blood into their city brethren. This process is a common one in 
the United States, where it is remarked that the leaders in nearly all the great 
municipal enterprises, as well as the captains of industry, w^ere originally 
farm boys born and bred in the free air and trained to work on "father's 
plantation." But for this fresh blood to recruit from constantly, sociologists 
fear that the city population would becrnne anaemic and gradually deteri- 
orate. Llowever this may be, it is always a pleasure to record the success of 
such country boys as Mr. Ewing, who came up from the farm to take the 
lead of their fellows in the cities and show remarkable adaptability for the 
duties of public life. The family came originally from Germany and ser- 
tled in Pennsylvania, the first of the name to come to Ohio being Jacob Ew- 
ing, grandfather of Hancock county's clerk, who died in Liberty towaiship, 
at the age of sixty-eight. His son, Cornelius Ewing, was born in Ashland, 



458 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

county, Ohio, April i6, 1824, and came to Hancock county in 1850. So far 
as can be ascertained the Ewings for generations back have been farmers, 
and Cornehus is no exception to the rule, as he is now and always has been 
a tiller of the soil. He married Elizabeth, daughter of T. F. Inzley. 

Philip Wilbur Ewing, son of Cornelius, was born on his father's farm 
in Pleasant township, Hancock county, Ohio, December 29, 1863, and re- 
mained at home until his sixteenth year. His training and educaton were 
precisely similar to those receix'cd by thousands of other country boys, con- 
sisting chiefly in school attendance during the winter months, "doing chores" 
after hours and work on the farm in summer. Yet this is precisely the train- 
ing alluded to above, which has proved valuable for so many men who have 
risen to the highest rank in all the walks of life. Another almost inevitable 
step, as it seems, in cases of this kind, is that the first business venture in 
life must be as a teacher, that apparently being a prerequisite to other pur- 
suits. At any rate. Mr. Ewing followed this example by turning pedagogue 
when sixteen years old, his first school being taught in Liberty 
township in 1879. After devoting two terms to this occupation Mr. 
Juving naturally turned his face toward the city, that mccca of all am- 
bitious farm boys. Coming up to Findlay in 1881, he secured a clerkship 
in a dry-goods store and retained it about three years, when he decided to 
go into Ijusiness for himself. Accordingly he opened with a stock of dry- 
goods and devoted the next se\ en years to "working up a trade," in which 
he was measurably successful, but in 1891 decided on a change of plan. Dis- 
posing of his dry-goods holdings, he renewed his investment in a line of fiu'- 
niture and carpets for the retail trade, and since that time has continued to 
conduct this business at Findlay with success. 

Meantime Mr. Ewing had been getting in touch vrith politics, and soon 
showed his capacity both as a worker and leader. Tn 1897 his first honor 
came in the shape of an election to the city council from the Fourth ward of 
Findlay on the Democratic ticket, the notable feature l>eing that he triumphed 
in a ward usually Republican by about one hundred and forty A'otes. He re- 
ceived sixty-six majority, served in the council with satisfaction to his sup- 
porters until April, 1899, and accumulated a stock of popularity to draw on 
for higher and more valuable honors. As a general thing it is what the poli- 
.ticians call "hard sledding" for Democrats in Plancock county as the Repub- 
licans usually roll up majorities somewhere around four hundred. So when 
in 1899 Mr. Ewing was given the nomination as candidate for county clerk 
by his party, the impression prevailed that he was leading a " forlorn hope,' 
*but when the votes were counted November 8, it was found that he had been 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 459 

elected by a majority of seven hundred and sixty votes. This striking \ic- 
tory, in which a Repubhcan margin of nearly four hundred was nearly doubled 
ihe other way, was something akin to a revolution which greatly astonished 
the political wiseacres, but it was also a signal manifestation both of ^Ir. 
Ewing's hold on the people and his ability as a leader. In November, 1902, 
Mr. Ewing wes re-elected clerk of the courts by a majority of 2,093, while 
the county gave 239 majority for Laylin (Republican) for secretary of state. 
October 8, 1885, Mr. Ewing was married to Miss Nettie, daughter of 
Nelson Poe of Liberty township, and has two children : Alary E., born 
April 21, 1887, and Edgar P., born September 22, 1892. Mr. Ewing's 
father is at the present time the oldest resident of Hancock county. Air. 
Ewing is a member of the Presbyterian church, of which he has served as 
trustee for seven years, and his fraternal connections are wdth the Elks, 
Knights of Pythias, and Independent Order of Odd Fellows. 

HENRY M. HAUSE. 

One of the most prominent and respected citizens of Hancock county is 
H. M. Hause, a man whose history furnishes a splendid example of what 
may be accomplished through determined purpose, laudable ambition and 
Avell directed efforts. A native son of the Keystone state, his birth occurred 
in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, on the' twenty-fifth of July, 1853, his par- 
ents being Lewis and Jane (Reichard) Hause, also natives of that common- 
wealth. The father was an excellent mechanic, and as a means of livelihood 
followed the wagon maker's trade. Both he and his wife were summond 
into eternal rest early in life, passing away in their native state, and at their 
death they left a family of two children, a daughter and a son. 

Henry M. Hause received but limited educational advantages during his 
youth, but being ambitious to acquire knowledge he labored industriously 
with that end in view and when twenty-five years of age was able to enter the 
University of Ada. in Ohio, in which he was a student for some time, and 
after wdiich he was given a teacher's certificate, and for eighteen years there- 
after he was one of the most efficient school teachers of Hancock county. 
His career as an instructor ably demonstrated his ability to impart to others 
the knowledge he had received, and in 1889 he was made a county school 
examiner, being the incumbent therein for the succeeding three years. For 
a period of eight years he served as the township clerk of Union township, and 
has also filled the positions of mayor, clerk and councilman of Mt. Cory, ever, 
discharging his public duties with the same honesty and straightforwardness 



46o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

that have characterized his private hfe. For ten years Mr. Hause made his 
home in Mt. Cory, but in 1899 purchased his present farm of eighty acres, 
where he is eng-aged in general farming. This homestead was originally 
entered by Abraham C. Van Courtright, and is a valuable and productive 
tract. 

The marriage of Mr. Hause was celebrated in 1889, when Miss Lottie, 
a daughter of Isaac A. and Mary Ann Baldwin, became his wife. She is a 
native daughter of the Buckeye state, her birth having occurred in Blanchard 
township, Hancock county, in 1866. Four children have come to brighten 
and bless this home, namely : Ralph, Mirth, Grace M. and Clarence M. Both 
Air. and Mrs. Hause are members of the Methodist Protestant church, in 
which the former has served as a steward for many years. The Hause home 
is a happy and attractive one, where warm-h.earted hospitality is always to be 
found by their numerous friends. In politics Mr. Hause is a Democrat. 

WILLIAM P. GRAY. 

William P. Gray is a child of Marion township. He was born there 
September 16, 1853, and has lived on his present farm ever since 1856. Flis 
education was dependent upon the instruction of the district school and upon 
his early home training. 

He is connected with the Moorehcad family through his mother, Eliza 
E. (Moorehead) Gray, who was born in Harrison county, this state. May 8, 
J 82 5. His father was Samuel R. Gray, a native of the same county, born 
December 4, 181 6. His parents were married in their native county in Feb- 
ruary, 1846, and one year latter undertook a week's journey, moving all 
their household effects to this county, where Samuel had bought eighty acres 
of slightly improved land. For seven years they worked upon this land, 
joining their labors to secure a comfortable li^'ing. Then, when he had the 
chance, Samuel seized upon the opportunity and closed for two hundred acres 
with small improvements. AA'ith industry and forethought he developed 
this tract into highly cultivated property and in 1876 sold forty acres, but one 
hundred and twenty acres remain in the possession of his son William. 

Samuel R. Gray was a man of decided business ability. He was the 
first' to use tile in a system of drainage; and all his methods were advanced 
and progressive. In politics he was in the front ranks of the Republicans. 
He held the office of assessor for the township and, in the early history of the 
county, would probably have been a prominent off cial had not his party been 
in the minoritv. He was nominated for countv commissioner but defeated 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 4^1 

by a Democratic majority. '\\i\ Gray was a meml)er of the Presbyterian 
church. He died October 24, 1881, but his wife still survives. They had 
five children,, namely : Flora G. ; Mary B. ; William P. ; Sallie H. and 
Phoebe J. Mary and Sallie are prominent in educational work, the former 
having taught for a number of years and the latter recaitly completed her 
twenty-fifth year of sacrificing labor in the school room. 

September 30, 1880, William J. Gray was united in marriage to Hettie 
M. Price. She was born August 9, 1857, in this state, her parents being 
John G. and Elizabeth Price. Mr. and Mrs. Gray are the parents of four 
children: Laura E., born March 12, 1882: Mattie B., born September 19, 
1883; Samuel P., November 24, 1885, and Frank S., who was born Sep- 
tember 27, 1898. The family are regular attendants at the First Presby- 
terian church of Findlay, in which both parents hold membership. 

FRANK C. RAY. 

Frank C. Ray, city clerk and one of the younger business men of Find- 
lay, by his alertness and energy is winning his way in the world, and has 
many friends both in public and social life. He comes of good stock, his 
ancestry for several generations having been natives of Ohio. His grand- 
father, Allen Ray, was born in Columbiana county in 181 7. At that time the 
settlements were few and far between, the country w^as only beginning to 
be laid out in farms, wild animals were plentiful and the skins valuable. 
Allen Ray was a trader in furs, an active pioneer, and did his part in help- 
mg to develop the country. Later, he moved still farther west and settled 
in Hancock county, where he died in 1849. 

Albert W. Ray, son of Allen, was born at Findlay in the same year that 
witnessed the death of his father, and his whole life was spent in his native 
town, W'ith the exception of the time when he w^ore the "blue" and fought 
for the preservation of his country. He was a carriage maker by trade, and 
was in that business in Findlay from 1874 to 1896. In 1896 he was elected 
city clerk and served as such until his death in the year 1900. He was mar- 
ried in 1873 to Amanda, daughter of Daniel Cline, and they were the par- 
ents of five children, of whom four are still living as follows : Louisa K., 
wife of Chas. A. Keller, Frank C. (the subject of this sketch), Bess L., 
and Marie. Though a mere lad only fifteen years of age, he enlisted in 1864 
as a private in the One Hundred and Sixty-first Regiment, Ohio Volunteer 
Infantry, and served until the close of the war, when the troops were mustered 
out. He was the youngest soldier in the regiment. He participated in bat- 



462 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

tie's at Harper's Ferry and at Millersburg. His brother, Thomas J. Ray, 
now hving at Houston, Texas, served throughout the war as a member of 
the Forty-ninth Regiment, Ohio Vokmteer Infantry, which was commanded 
by Colonel William Gibson. 

Frank C. Ray was born in Findlay, Ohio, in 1876, and was there reared 
and educated, attending first the public schools, graduating from the high 
school in 1893, and later, Findlay College, from which he graduated in 1896. 
The next two years Mr. Ray employed in learning and working at the car- 
riage painting trade, after which time he entered the service of the Eastern 
Ohio Gas Company at Canton, Ohio, as a clerk. He remained with that 
corporation about a year and then returned to Findlay, where he secured 
employment with the Bradford Oil Company, and so continued until April, 
1900, when he was elected city clerk by the city council, the position his 
father had held before his death. Mr. Ray was married at P'indlay, Ohio, 
in June, 1900, to Dorothy Bickham, daughter of Major Y. Bickham, and 
they have one little daughter, Elizabeth A. In his political views, Mr. Ray 
is a stanch Republican and an earnest worker for the interests of his party. 
He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Elks and the 
First Methodist church of Findlay. Mr. Ray is a wide-awake, progressive 
young man, interested in his work, his home, his fraternal societies and well 
deserving of the success so far achieved in life. 

WILLIAM KUHLMAN. 

The above named gentleman, who is a worthy representative of the 
German-American citizenship of Hancock county, resides on a well cultivated 
farm of two hundred and forty acres in Allen township, and is extensively 
engaged in the raising of stock. Mr. Kuhlman was born in Hanover, Ger- 
many, December 28, 1844, remained in the fatherland until twenty- four years 
of age, gave cheerful and loyal ol^edience to the emperor and laid the foun- 
dation of a practical education and training which ha\'e served him well in 
his adopted country. Believing that there were grent opportunities in the new 
world for the advancement of young men, he left the home of his youth and 
crossed the ocean to the great republic of which he had read with such in- 
terest in his boyhood days. He came to Hancock county and first located 
in Portage township, but in 1881 bought his present farm, the first install- 
ment of which was an eighty-acre tract. As he prospered, he added one 
hundred and sixty acres to this original purchase, and is now possessed of 
one of the best farms in Hancock county, which he is rapidly improving. In 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 463 

'896 he erected new buildings, besides remodeled the old ones, and the farm 
is presenting- a very attractive appearance under his guiding hand. Mr. 
Kuhlman had not been long in this country until he felt the advisability of 
establishing himself in a home of his own. His marriage was celebrated 
June 16, 1873, when he was united in marriage to Miss Catherine, the daugh- 
ter of Aaron and Margaret Smith. To this union there have been born the 
following named children: George E., 1874; Aaron F., 1876; Clara M., 
deceased, 1878; Susan M., 1881 ; Charles W., 1883; James A., 1885; Nellie 
A., 1888; Edmund C, 1891 ; Lizzie O., 1893; Neil L., 1896; John K., 1900, 
deceased. Mrs. Kuhlman is a native of Marion township, where she was 
born October 14, 1856. Her parents came to this county from Germany 
in 1850. ]Mr. Kuhlman is a gentleman of excellent standing in his immediate 
neighborhood. He is a member of the German Lutheran church, but in the 
absence of his own organization, he and his family are faithful attendants 
of the Presbyterian church. He has held several of the township offices, 
and in every way has proved himself a loyal and worthy citizen of his adopted 
country. 

JOHN H. MELLOTT. 

The above named gentleman, who resides in Allen township on a well 
cultivated farm of fifty acres, is the son of Elijah and Jane (Kline) Mellott. 
The Mellotts came from Bedford county, Pennsylvania, where the father 
w^as born in 1820, and the Klines are natives of the same county. Our subject's 
parents were reared in the state and county above mentioned and were there 
married in 1842. After spending four years in Ashland county they came in 
1855 to Hancock county and located in Allen township, where they bought 
cight}^ acres of land and later added enough to make a handsome farm of one 
hundred and seventeen acres. Elijah Mellott is held in high esteem in the sec- 
tion where he resides, has filled several of the offices of the township and is 
respected by all. His wife died in 1891, after becoming the mother of eight 
children, of whom four are living. Elijah is the son of Obadiah and Kather- 
ine (Sipes) Mellott, both of whom were natives of Bedford county, Penn- 
sylvania. On the paternal side the Mellotts are of English origin, while 
on the maternal side they are of German stock. Obadiah died in 1862 and 
his wife in 1859. 

John H. Mellott, one of his father's four surviving children, was born 
in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, March 27, 1843, ^"<^1 ^^'^^ twelve years of 
age wdien his parents came to this state in 1855. He grew up amidst rural 



464 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

scenes, and in the invigorating life of the farm developed that sturdiness of 
character which has always characterized him. Upon arriving at maturity, 
he bought his present farm, which he has continued to cultivate with suc- 
cess and has at different times added substantial improvements, his modern 
and commodious house having been erected in 1889. The biography of 
Mr. Mellott characterizes him as "a clean-cut practical man of the soil," and 
such he has proved himself to be in the various branches of agriculture. 
In 1869 he was united in marriage to Miss Rachel A. Crowel, a native of 
Stark county, Ohio, and born February 14, 1843. 

Mr. and Mrs. John H. Mellott merit and receive the homage of a large 
circle of friends. He is a good citizen, a model farmer and such a man as 
benefits any community by association with it, and bravely accepts and faith- 
fully fulfills the duties of life. 

WILSON C. STOKER. 

The above named is one of the children of Jacob and j\Iary R. (Pence) 
Stoker, whose family history is fully given in the sketch of their son Darius 
and need not be repeated at length. As therein stated three of the brothers 
served in the Union army and two of them, as the lamented Lincoln said at 
Gettysburg, "paid the last full measure of devotion that the nation might 
live." Stoker Post, Grand Army of the Republic at Findlay, is named in 
honor of the brothers who were killed on the field of battle at Stone river, 
and this is only one evidence of the high regard in which the Stoker family 
is and has long been held by the people of Hancock county. Since their fa- 
ther's arrival in 1845, there has been no time when the Stokers were not con- 
spicuously identified with the county's farming interests and they have grown 
in wealth and influence, as well as numbers, from year to year during the last 
two generations. 

Wilson C. Stoker, youngest of the children by his father's second mar- 
riage, was born in Hancock county, October t8, 1845, and as he grew up he 
received a common school education while learning farm work between terms. 
When he reached manhood he became a farmer on his own account and has 
achieved unusual success in this occupation. He is practical in his methods, 
progressive in business and thorough-going in everything relating to agri- 
cultural pursuits. As a result he at present owns two valuable farms in the 
county, consisting of three hundred and twelve acres, and on his land are 
found twenty-three producing oil wells. Pie ranks among the leading farm- 
ers of the county and is a representative citizen in every sense of that term. 




Q^,^^,^.^?^^ 




#//' Jl^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 465 

]\Ir. Stoker was fortunate in the selection of a wife, to whose wise counsel 
and good management he owes much of his success. His marriage occurred 
December 30, 1869, the bride being Miss Katie, daughter of Jacob and Mary 
Grubbs, who was born near Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 1846. This union, 
which proved happy and congenial in every way, resulted in the birth of 
three children: Laura M., David D., and Elmer O. David D. Stoker, the 
only one of the children now living, was born February 14, 1874, and was 
given a good education by his parents and teachers as he grew to manhood. 
April 25. 1901, he was united in marriage with Miss Ella M., daughter of 
Nelson and Hannah Altman, who are residents of Elancock county and the 
former one of the leading farmers of Marion township. Mr. Wilson C. 
Stoker's political affiliations are with the Republican party and he and 
wife are members of the U^nited Brethren church. The family are among 
the best people of the county socially and no man enjoys higher reputation in 
the business world than Wilson C. Stoker. 

JAMES DECKER. 

There is no section of the great state of Ohio that is more noted for its 
fine farms than Hancock county, and there is no section of Hancock county 
that is under a better state of cultivation than Allen township. In this town- 
ship lives the above worthy representative of a worthy family who have 
for many years been -residents of the county, and have been honorably and 
intimately connected with its growth and progress. James Decker is the 
direct descendant of Mahlon and Minerva (Dull) Decker, the former born 
in New Jersey and the latter a native of Pennsylvania. They married in 
Pennsylvania, soon after came to Crawford county, Ohio, and after a short 
residence there removed to Hancock county in 1845. They purchased eighty 
acres of timber land in section 24 of Allen township, upon which they erected 
a comfortable log house that continued to be their home for twenty-five years. 
Here they engaged in the active work of subduing the wilds of nature, and it 
is remembered of the mother that, together with many other accomplish- 
ments that were necessary in that early day, she was an expert weaver, not 
only making all the clothing for the family, but doing a large amount of 
work for her neighbors. Mahlon Decker 'was a practical man, and succeeded 
by thrift and honest toil in accumulating three hundred acres of valuable 
land. He was stanch in his support of Republican principles, a consistent 
member of the Baptist church and sincerely mourned at his death, which 
occurred July 18, 1874. His widow still survives at the advanced age of 



466 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

eighty-four years, in g-ood general health of mind and body. They reared 
a family of eleven children, seven of whom are living and six residents of 
Hancock county. 

James Decker, one of the surviving sons, was born in Crawford county, 
Ohio, January i6, 1837. He was a lad of but eight years wdien he came 
with his parents to Hancock county, where he was reared and received wdiat 
little education w^as obtainable in the schools at that early day. His first 
purchase of real estate was in i860, consisting of a tract of forty-six acres, 
to which he added at various times. In August, 1862, he responded to the 
call of President Lincoln for troops to save "Old Glory" from being trailed 
in the dust and became a private soldier of Company G, One Hnndred and 
Eighteenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He participated in a score 
of battles in the middle west. Mossy Creek and Resaca possibly being the 
most noted. At the latter battle he was so unfortunate as to receive a w^ound, 
after the healing of which he was honorably discharged in 1865. He has 
no regrets that he offered his life to save the constitution of the grandest 
country in the world. In January, 1861, he celebrated his marriage with 
Mary, daughter of John and Sarah Barnd, who were early settlers of Han- 
cock county. Mrs. Mary Decker was born in Allen township in 1838, and 
of her eight children the following named are living: Edward, C. A., L. 
B., M. C, G. H. and Sidney O. The beautiful modern brick residence of 
I\Ir. Decker, where he and his family delight to entertain their numerous 
friends, was built in 1879. ^Ir. Decker is a popular gentleman in the com- 
munity, having held a number of the township offices. He is a consistent 
member of the old school Baptist church, of which he has been clerk for a 
number of years. In connection with his active work on the farm he looks 
after the product of twenty oil wells, seven of which he drilled. Mr. Decker 
was treasurer of the Hancock Gas & Oil Company, the first to open up the 
North Findlay pool. In 1889 they drilled the first well and this became the 
most pr()ducti\e locality in the county. He has one hundred and forty acres 
of land, on which there are twenty-five producing oil wells at tliis writing. 
Mr. Decker is a member of Stoker Post, Grand Army of the Republic, at 
Findlay, and one of the l:)est known as well as most highly esteemed man 
in the county. 

HENRY FRANKS. 

Henr}^ Franks is a worthy representative of the agricultural interests 
of Hancock county, where his father was at one time an extensive owner of 
real estate, ha\ing been in possessic^n of two thoiisand acres. Mr. Franks 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 467 

]i^;es in Allen township, uhere he cultivates a farm of one hundred and ninety 
acres, the methods which he uses producing one of the finest farm properties 
in the county. His father, John I'ranks, was one of Hancock county's early 
pioneers and a man of wonderful resources. He was enterprising-,' honest, 
industrious and possessed of large and liberal views concerning life.^ He had 
a passion for the accumulation of real estate, selecting his locations with 
great business sagacity and foresight. This land was afterward disposed of 
by sale and by division among his chddren, who have since made good use of 
their mheritance. Mr. Franks was married twice, his first wife being Sarah 
Musgrove, who bore him eight children and died in June, 1843. His second 
wife was Betsie Fast, who presented him with five children, and seven of the 
two sets are now living. John Franks was a member of the United Brethren 
church, and supported the principles of government formulated by that great 
disciple of Democracy, Thomas Jefi:erson. He died August g, 1880,'' and 
his last wife passed away June 30, 1902. 

Henry Franks, a son by the first marriage, was born in Cass township, 
December 8, 1842, and six months later lost his mother by death. He was 
reared and schooled m Cass township, passed his life in agricultural pursuits, 
and has resided on the present, farm for the past thirty-two years. In August 
1868, he was united in marriage to Mahala Allard, and their union has been 
blessed with ten children, eight of whom are living: John W.. Catherine B.. 
Andrew J., Charles H., Ella, Mary, David W. and Eliza. The mother of 
these children is a native of Ohio, and her birth occurred in 1848. Mr. 
Franks is a quiet, unostentatious, but loyal citizen, seeking no honors himself, 
but taking delight in placing in office the best man regardless of party aftilia- 
tion. He, however, inclines to Democratic principles. He is an industrious 
and honest citizen, and in Hancock county is universally recognized and 
honored for his many good traits of character. 

J. A. NUSSER. 

Wherever the stranger goes in Hancock county he finds a very large 
sprinkling of gray heads among the farming element, but there are a num- 
ber of young and enterprising men who have resisted the wiles of city life 
and are following nobly in the footsteps of their fathers. It is a mistaken 
idea that farming has become a lost art. There is just as much material 
prosperity to be had in the country as there is in the city. The only point 
necessary to remember is that the farmer of to-day must keep in mind the 
lact that he is living in a progressive age, that he cannot scratch the ground 



468 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

with a forked 3tick and plant his corn by hand, as was the custom in the early- 
day. The use of modern machinery and the adoption of intensive methods 
of farming, coupled, of course, always, with hard work, will win in 
this day just as readily as the old methods won in their day, all of which 
is being- realized by this enterprising and up-to-date young farmer whose 
worthy name heads this paragraph. Mr. Nusser was born in Findlay, 
Ohio, November 14, 1872, and was reared in Allen township, where he 
closely applied himself to his studies during his minority and laid the 
foundation of his education. His book learning has been the lesser part, 
for he is a man of observant mind and intelligent comprehension, and has 
thus added a later equipment that makes him a very useful and worthy citi- 
zen. From his boyhood he was inclined to the free and independent life 
of the farmer, and when he arrived at the years of maturity he entered upon 
agricultural pursuits. He bought his present home in 1899. It consists of 
eighty acres, which he is gradually bringing into a high state of cultivation, 
rapidly adding new buildings and improvements of the kind suitable to a 
modern Ohio farm. Of him his biographer states : "Mr. Nusser is a young 
man who will not be satisfied to sit on the bottom round of the ladder. His 
motto is, 'Plenty of room at the top.' " 

Mr. Nusser is a son of J. J. and Mary Nusser, his father having been a 
native of Findlay, and his mother of Allen township. She died in 1880, 
having been the mother of seven children: Lucretia; Ouinn; J. A., our 
subject; Caroline, deceased; Frederick; Mammie; and Edna. 

Mr. Nusser had barely reached his majority when, on November 12, 
1893, lie led to the altar Miss Blanche, the accomplished daughter of Samuel 
and Elizabeth Swab. Mrs. Nusser was born November 25, 1873. (See 
sketch of family on another page). Mr. and Mrs. Nusser have had two 
children, one who died in infancy, and Dorothy E., born July 9, 1900. They 
are popular members of society in their immediate neighborhood, where the 
genial, pleasant manner of Mr. Nusser has made him popular among a host 
of friends. 

JOHN H. GRUBB. 

John H. Grubb, brother of Cyrus and youngest son of Jacob Grubb, 
now holds a two-third interest in the fine tract of farming land once owned 
by his father, and which save the first six years of his life has always been 
his home. 

Air. Grubb was born February 17, 1857, on what is now the D. L. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 469 

Norris farm in Marion township, this county. Jn 1863 his parents moved to 
Liberty township where John recei\-ed a common school education, and 
where in due time he added his efforts to those of his father in wresting from 
nature a free and safe means of hvehhood. 

In selecting a helpmate for life, he chose one of nature's daughters, a 
young woman who knew what life on a farn-i meant and who has fulfilled her 
highest mission by making for him a happy home. 

On November 8, 1884, Mr. Grubb married Miss Sallie Cusac, who was 
born as the daughter of James M. and Rachel Cusac, on a farm in Liberty 
township on Blanchard river, September 15, 1858. Their union was blessed 
by two children: Gail G., born in August, 1893, and Mack, born December 
25, 1896. The family are members of the Presbyterian church, enjoying 
the esteem of a large circle of friends. 

Through untiring industry Mr. Grubb has become a prosperous and 
independent business man. Upon the land operated by him there are twenty- 
five producing oil wells. 

Other details concerning the family record will be found in the biogra- 
phies of Cyrus Grubb and James M. Cusac. 

WILLLAM THOMAS. 

William Thomas is a well known and respected citizen of Findlay, the 
son of one of the first settlers of the county. His father was Charles 
Thomas, a native of Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, who removed to 
Tyler county, Virginia, where he married Mary Ripley; she became the 
mother of fourteen children, ten of whom grew^ to maturity and two of this 
number are now living, Narcissa W. and William. Charles Thomas lived 
the uneventful but eminently useful life of the practical farmer. Tke farm 
which he tilled is still ni the Thomas family, and has been continously since 
its first possession by them in 1831. Charles Thomas endured all the hard- 
ships incident to pioneer life, receiving many friendly visits from his red 
brother, the Indian, and it might be added many hostile visits from his more 
vicious brother, the wolf. When he first came to Hancock county, the town 
of Findlay consisted of but sixteen houses. They were principally of the 
block house variety, so built for the purpose of defense from the unfriendlv 
tribes of red men ^^•hich then surrounded the town. 

\\1lliam Thomas was born in Tyler county, Virginia, on April 2, 1827, 
and until middle life always follow^ed the pursuit of farming. His labors 
were attended with such success that in 1879 he was able to retire from active 



470 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

labor, and purchasing a home in FincUa}' he removed to the city where he 
no\\- resides. During his active hfe on the farm he was honored wdth most 
a]l of the township offices by his fellow^ citizens which he administered in a 
worthy manner. 

In rehgious faith he is a beHever in the tenets held by the Methodist 
Episcopal denomination, in wdiich organization he has labored during all of 
lus lifetime, holding many offices of trust. He has held the office of steward 
for the past twenty years. Mr. Thomas began his domestic life on the thirty- 
iirst of October, 1850. when he married Miss Sidney, the daughter of John 
and Margaret Paden. The marriage proved a most felicitous one, and 
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas have passed a long life of connubial happiness. To 
this union w-ere born five children : Mary M., Margaret J., Kate, Lezettie 
and Fannie, the latter being deceased. The mother was born in Fairfield 
county, Ohio, on December 2, 1833. Her father, John Paden, was born in 
Ireland and his wife in Ohio. 

Mr. Thomas, as must be supposed, is one of the well known men of the 
county, having passed almost the entire period of his life in this part of the 
state. He is a w^orthy rq^reseutative, though now retired, of that calling 
which Washington said is the most useful and honorable to which man 
devotes his energies. 

DAVID THOMAS. 

The family of which the above named gentleman is an honored repre- 
sentative, is one of the pioneer families of Hancock county. Henry Thomas 
and his half-brother, James, were the first of the name to settle in the county, 
the date of their arrival being as early as 1834. They were natives of Ire- 
land, where Henry was born November 21. 1781, and emigrated to this coun- 
try in 1816. September 17, 181 1, he was united in marriage to Jane Strana- 
han, and their first three children, A\^illiam, John and Mary J., were born 
before they left their native country. Henry and Sarah were natives of 
Pennsylvania, wdiile Samuel L., the youngest, was born in Wayne county, 
Ohio. Henry Thomas died October 14, 1865, and his wife in 1852. Henrv 
entered from the government one hundred and sixty acres of land, which was 
at that time in its primitive wildness, and which he cleared during his life- 
time. He w-as a man of moderate education, but of fine judgment and keen 
foresight. In his native land he had learned the weaver's trade, but after he 
came to America abandoned it for agricultural pursuits. In religious faith 
he w^as a Presbyterian, and gave his support to the policies of the Whig party. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 



471 



His son Henry, father o\ David Thomas, was born in Cumberland countv, 
Pennsylvania, NoNember 8, 181 9, and was but fifteen years of age when he 
came to Hancock county Nvith his parents. He passed an entire lifetime in 
agricultural pursuits, and in this vocation he was very successful. He pur- 
chased eighty acres of land from his father, on which he continued to reside 
until his death, which occurred October 4, 1891. In 1843, lie married Eliza- 
beth Shoemaker, who was born in Wyandot county, Ohio, on the fourth of 
February. 1826, and the results of this marriage were the following named 
children: Sarah J.. l)orn in 1844; Alary A.. 1846: John, 1847: Margaret, 
J850; Andrew. 1853; David, September 12, 1855; Ellen, 1857; Henry, 
j86o: Ira, 1863. The . father of this family was a man whose reputation 
stood high for probity ^^•ith his neighbors and whose character was abo^^e 
reproach. He was bold and positive in his assertions, and lived up to his 
convictions of right and duty. He. as his father before him, was a con- 
sistent and earnest member of the Presbyterian church, in which organiza- 
tion he was for many years a deacon. Politically he gave allegiance to the 
Republican party during nearly all his life, though toward the close he was 
more particularly interested in the matter of temperance, on which question 
he felt the Republican party did not give entire satisfaction. After a long 
and useful life, and mourned by a host of friends, he died October 4. 1891. 
His wife survived him about six years and died April i, 1897. 

David Tliomas. son of Henry and Elizabeth, was born on his father's 
fram in Hancock county, Ohio, and reared to manhood in his native town- 
ship of Big Lick. He received a good elementary education and in early life 
followed portable w^ood-sawing and threshing, but his employment later, for 
several years, consisted in the pressing and shipping of hay. He owned 
one hundred and se\-enty acres of land. ninety-scN-en of which he sold in 1902. 
and is now on account of failing health not actively engaged in the rougher 
work of farming. The marriage of Mr. Thomas ^vas celebrated Novei^iber 
6. 1879. the lady of his choice being Miss Ella, daughter of \\'illiam K. and 
Alartha J. Leonard. Mrs. Thomas is a native of the county, having been 
born at Findlay. December 22. 1856. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas are adherents 
of the Presbyterian faith, in which organization Mr. Idiomas is an actiA-e 
worker, being at the i)resent time an elder, 'j^hey have no children. 

The family of which Mrs. Thomas is a member deser\-es more than a 
passing notice. Her father, William K. Leonard, was born in Columbiana 
county in 1821, and spent the early part of his adult life as a school teacher, 
making a fine reputation as a member of that profession. He followed that 
occui)ation until 1863. when he turned his attention to agricultural pursuits. 



472 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

He also was an active worker in the Presbyterian church, and for many years 
was an elder. Indeed, in early life he had very serious intentions of being 
ordained to the ministry, and only the consideration of poor health changed 
his determination. His marriage to Martha J. Moorhead occurred Decem- 
ber 15, 1853, and their children were: Edgar H., Francis E., Melissa, 
Samuel M., deceased, John M., Mary A., deceased, Margaret M., deceased 
and Robert W. It is worthy of note that John M. Leonard, the third son, 
spent five years as a missionary of the Presbyterian church in Japan, but his 
health failing he was obliged to return to his native country, where he is now 
actively engaged in the ministry in the state of Kansas. The father of this 
family died October 22, 1890. Robert Leonard, grandfather of ]Mrs. 
Thomas, removed from Columbiana county, Ohio, to Hancock county in 
1837. Pie married Frances Bayless and the children born to them were: 
Elizabeth, Samuel, Silas, William K., Abner and Mary A. Robert Leonard 
died May 4, 1867, his wife having preceded him some fourteen years. Thus 
ends the record of two of Hancock county's most estimable families, the rep- 
resentative of which at the present day are held in the highest esteem by all. 

D ARILS R. STOKER. 

The Stokers, now one of the strong and prosperous family connections 
of Hancock county, have been identified with the county's affairs for more 
than half a century. The paternal ancestors were of German origin, and 
the first of the name who appeared in America was John Stoker, who event- 
ually found his way to tlie west. His son, Jacob Stoker, was born in Perry 
county, Ohio, June 29, t8o6, but in early life located in Fairfield county, 
A\'here he remained a nufiiber of years. In 1845 '^""^ came to Hancock county 
and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land, to wdiich he subsequently 
added eighty acres, and all of this he cleared and improved by his own labor. 
He was a fine specimen of the sturdy pioneer, of evenly balanced character, 
industrious habits and not to be discouraged by any kind of hardships. Event- 
ually he succeeded in converting his originally wild land into a good estate, 
which increased in value as the years went by and made a comfortable in- 
heritance for his descendants. By a marriage in 1828, with Elizabeth Hart- 
sock, he had a daughter named Athelinda. The first wife dying, he was mar- 
ried March 4, 1830, to Mary R. Pence, Avho was born in Fairfield county, 
Ohio, January 4, 1812. The children by this second union were: David 
P., born January 4, 183 [; Tunis A., September 4. 1832; Dicy R., February 
21, 1834; Darius R., December 27, 1836; Cyrus H., born July 19, 1839; 




JH^, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 473 

Mary J., November 22, 1841; and Wilson C. Jacol3 Stoker died February 
28, 1866, and his wife on July 14, 1889. Three of their sons entered the 
Union service during the Civil war and made highly honorable military rec- 
ords, two of them sealing their devotion with their lives. Darius and David 
enlisted September 19, j86r, in Company F, Twenty-first Regiment, Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry, and their brother Cyrus joined the same command a 
year later. They took part with their regiment in the bloody battle of Stone 
River, near iVlurfreesboro. Tennessee, in the early days of 1863, and fared 
badly as a result of the desperate nghting. Cyrus was killed on the battle- 
field and David was so badly wounded that he lingered but a short time after 
the battle. Darius also received a wound, but recovered, and at the end of 
two years' service was honorably discharged. 

After returning" from the army Darius R. Stoker engaged in farm work, 
and pursued it with such success as to eventually gain standing as one of 
the leading farmers of his county. At the present time he owns one hundred 
and forty-three acres of good land in Liberty township, which is well im- 
proved as to buildings, fences and other adjuncts of an up-to-date farm, and 
this estate is managed and cultivated by Mr. Stoker according to the best 
modern methods of scientific agriculture. October 13, 1863, Mr. Stoker 
was married to Miss Mary M. Strother, who comes of a noted old Virginia 
family that is deserving of more than a passing notice. John and Anna 
Strother, who came from Virginia to Licking county, Ohio, in 18 18, had a 
family of seven children. One son, Isaac J. Strother, \vho came to Ohio at 
the same time, engaged in farming and achie^•ed success in that line. By 
his first marriage, with Hannah Beardsley. he had one daughter named 
Eliza Ann. In March, 1838, his second marriage took place, with Elizabeth 
Hall, by whom he had six children: Mary M. (now Mrs. D. R. Stoker), 
.A.mos B., Caroline V.', Absalom H., Lucy D. and Emily T. Mrs. Stokers 
mother died in August, 1866, and her father in 1868. 

The union of Darius R. and Mary M. (Strother) Stoker resulted in 
the birth of four children. Clemma A., the eldest of these, was married in 
1892 to Frank P. DeBrandt, and has three children. Viola M., second child 
of Mr. and Mrs. Stoker, became the wife of Aeneas Collingwood in 1892. 
Luella D., the third of the family in order of birth, was married in 1894 to 
Nelson C. Altman, and has four children. Arthur H., youngest child and 
only son of Mr. and Mrs. Stoker, was married in 1900 to Frankie D. Ullom. 
The family attend religious services at the LTnited Brethren church, of which 
Mr. Stoker is a trustee, and for ten years was superintendent of the Sunday- 
school, in which he took much interest. It should be added as a matter of 
30 



474 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY ■ 

pathetic interest and showing the reg-ard in \vhich this family is held that 
Stoker Post, Grand Army of the Republic, at Findlay, is named in honor of 
the brother killed at the battle of Stone River. 

GEORGE S. PENDLETON. 

George S. Pendleton has inherited to some extent the roving nature of his 
paternal grandfather, James, who for several years in early life followed 
navigation on the Great Lakes. George has devoted his life mainly to farm- 
ing, an occupation in itself very quiet, yet he has not been content to remain 
fixed to one place. He has made several changes in location; seven of his 
younger years were spent in the wilds of California and Nevada, where he 
gave himself up to extensive stock-raising. 

Li Putnam county, this state, he has spent twenty-nine years, and while 
there acquired a title to one hundred and twenty-four acres of good farming 
land. Pie also held the office of township trustee during his residence there. 

George S. Pendleton was born in Findlay, January i, 1845. In 1868 
he married Mary Anderson, who died in 1901. The couple had three chil- 
dren: Harriet, born in August, 1869; Lucinda, born in 1871 ; and Louisa, 
born in 1873. Mr. Pendleton received his education and early training in 
Findlay. His father was Joel Pendleton, a man of exceeding popularity 
a«id superior school advantages. His life has been one of varied experi- 
ences and his genial nature, robust physique and hardy outdoor habits in- 
sured for him a ripe old age. He was born in the state of Maine, January 
26, 1812; and died Mary 12, 1894. He belonged to a family of twelve chil- 
dren, of whom one only survives. His parents were James ani Elizabeth 
Pendleton who were born in 1783 and in 1784 respectively. During the lat- 
ter part of their lives they resided in Licking county, Ohio. 

Joel was but eight years old when he first came to this state. He re- 
ceived a very good education, studied civil engineering and later took up the 
business of surveying in connection with farming. In 1835 ^^^ removed to 
this county, entered eighty acres of government land in Blanchard town- 
ship, w^orked and kept possession of it for almost eighteen years. In 1853 
he came to what was then Findlay township, purchased several acres of land 
and increased his estate from time to time until he owned seventy acres. 
Here his widow Amy still lives. She was a native of Vermont, born there 
May 8, 181 5. She was married to Mr. Pendleton on November 22, 1832. 
Eight of eleven children are living. They are: Anna, born in 1835 ; Lucinda, 
born in 1842; George S., born January i, 1845; Joel W., born in 1848; 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 475 

Mary E., born in the year 185 1 ; Harriet A., born in 1853; Louise, born in 
1856, and Charles F., born in 1859. 

Joel Pendleton belonged to the United Brethren church and in politics 
was a Democrat. He always had the best interests of his country at heart 
and was extremely popular with the younger element of the community, for 
he taught school for several years after his removal to Hancock county. As 
an indication of his popularity and the confidence placed in him by the \ot- 
ers of the county may be mentioned the fact that for over forty years he held 
the ofhce of county surveyor, 

JOHN C. KAGEY. 

After a long life of usefulness and work in which he has established and 
successfully conducted several different mercantile enterprises, Mr. John C. 
Kagey is able to spend the remainder of his years in comfort, free from the 
care and work of his earlier life. He was born on a farm in Richland (now 
Ashland) county in this state in 1831, in which county he lived and received 
his education until 1862, in which year he went to Ashland, Ohio, where he 
started in the grocery business. In 1865 he disposed of this business and 
became a lumber merchant, which he carried on until 1894, at which time 
he moved to Findlay. After settling in Findlay he again opened a grocery 
store, which he conducted for a number of years, though he is now retired. 

Mr. Kagy married Elizabeth Kohler, and their union has been blessed 
with four children, who are: Cora, wife of William Beach; William M.; 
TuUy J., Frederick G. 

j\Ir. Kagey is an adherent of the Democratic party, and he is also one 
of the strong body of Masons of Findlay. He does not afliliate with any 
church. 

B. F. BIBLER. 

B. F. Bibler, a farmer and proprietor of the Jackson township poultry 
yards, is one of those prosperous and able men who began at the bottom 
of the ladder and by energy, business push and integrity have worked 
their way up until they now occupy a respected place in the business world. 
The parents of this gentleman were Samuel and Elizabeth (Empfield) Bib- 
ler, the former born in Fairfield county, Ohio, and the latter a native of 
Pennsylvania. The birth of B. F. Bibler occurred in Fairfield county on the 
loth of October, 1855, and there, after the manner of all boys in the rural 



4/6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

regions, he received his early training in the schools and on the farm. He 
pursued farming as his chosen vocation and remained at home until 1875, 
when he rented a farm and carried on his business until 1897. In that year 
he bought his present farm of eighty acres, which he cultivated for two years 
and then started his poultry business. In this most pleasant of occupations 
he IS meeting with eminent success; his pure strains of White Plymouth 
Rock and Buff Plymouth Rock chickens not only being his own pride but 
accounted by other good judges the best in the country. His yards and pens 
are well kept and arranged, and the general surroundings are such as to in- 
dicate a man of thrift and industry, while his birds show care and painstak- 
ing in their breeding. He is modem and progressive in many ways, depart- 
ing from the well worn paths of his forefathers and marking out a course 
of his own. He has natural gas wells on his farm, from which he gets fuel 
for his stoves, and heats his poultry pens with the same fuel. 

Mr. Bibler was happily married on November 17, 1S80, to Selina Swab, 
a daughter of Solomon and Catherine Swab, who was born March 6, 1868. 
They are the parents of two sons: Benjamin C, born in 1883; and Charles 
E., born in 1893. Mr. Bibler is a member of the Jackson Grange, and his 
life has been such as to command the esteem and regard of the whole com- 
munity. As he is now in his prime it would be safe to predict for him still 
greater success as .the result of his future endeavors. 

FREDERICK J. KARG. 

Among the successful and respected business men of Findlay, Ohio, 
is Frederick J. Karg, a member of the firm of Karg Brothers, meat dealers, 
who carry on a business which was established in this city by his father 
in 1852. 

The birth of Mr. Karg was in Findlay, Ohio, in 1854, and he is a son 
of Carl August Emanuel Karg, who was born in Germany, in 1829. At the 
time of the latter's emigration to America, he was twenty years of age. He 
settled for two years in New York city and then removed to Findlay, Ohio, 
where he opened a meat business in 1852. With energy and industry this 
business was made to prosper, and as his sons grew up, Mr. Karg admitted 
some of them to the business, and in 1887 he felt that he could retire from 
activity, knowing that it -^vas in excellent hands. He is a staunch Republican 
and lie has served in the city council. 

A family of five sons and two daughters was born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Karg, as follows: Elizabeth, the wife of J. D. Klentsche; Frederick J., of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY a77 

this sketch; August C. ; Charles A.; Minnie, the wife of Wihiam Huh; Al- 
bert E. and William. 

Frederick J. Karg obtained a good common school education in Find- 
lay, and at the age of sixteen entered his father's meat market where he 
learned the trade. In 1887, with two of his brothers, the present well-known 
firm of Karg Brothers was formed, which supplies a large part of the city 
with its choicest meat. In 1877 our subject was married to Miss Eliza Mills, 
who is a daughter of James Mills, and they have one daughter, Eva. 

In politics Mr. Karg, like his father, is a Republican. He belongs to the 
order of the Knights of Pythias, No. 400, while the religious connection of 
the family is with the Lutheran church. He is well and favorably known in 
Findlay, and is considered an honest and enterprising business man and an 
excellent citizen. 

FREDRICK SUTTER. 

During his residence there of twenty-two years, the above named gentle- 
man has been about the busiest man in the village of Vanlue. He has looked 
after tliree hundred acres of land, manufactured tile and brick and ran a 
mill, which "made things hum" by the noisy revolutions which turned off 
lumber by the thousands of feet a day. Mr. Sutter, however, is not doing 
all these things at present, having reached that condition of financial inde- 
pendence which makes over exertion unnecessary, still he is a controlling 
figure in Amanda township and consulted as one of its best informed as well 
as most enterprising citizens. A word or two about his life and character 
and those from whom he is descended will not therefore be inappropriate in a 
volume devoted to the representative men of Hancock county. 

The family is of Swiss origin and founded in this country by Fredrick 
and Fannie Sutter. This couple was married in Switzerland in the early 
thirties, but after striving for a decade or two in their native land decided 
that emigration to far distant America held out a promise of improvement 
in their fortunes. It was in 1852 that this resolution was carried into effect 
and the newly arrived immigrants, after the usual trials and tribulations of 
poor travelers, found themselves settled at Sandusky City, Ohio. As Fred- 
rick was an industrious and hardworking man, all went well and he was ac- 
cumulating some means until an unfortunate accident disabled him for work 
and eventuated in his death in 1854. By two marriages there were five chil- 
dren, three by the first and two by the second, all of whom are living. 

Fredrick Sutter, Jr., one of the children by his father's first marriage, 



478 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

was born in Switzerland in 1835 and consequently was about eighteen years 
old \vhen his parents emigrated to this country. He remained at Sandusky 
City until his father's death wdien he entered the employment of a railroad 
company whose lines extended through that part of Ohio. He remained at 
work with this company about ten years, afterward worked 3 while as a mill 
hand and later removed to Hancock county, where he purchased an eighty acre 
farm in Amanda township. This tract, only half of which was cleared, w^as 
held two years by Mr. Sutter for speculative purposes and then disposed of 
at a profit. In 1865 Mr. Sutter bought another tract of eighty acres, fifty 
of which were cleared, and made other deals as buyer and seller until the 
outcome was his present holding of three hundred acres in Amanda and Lib- 
erty townships. In 1880 he removed to Vanlue and three years later pur- 
chased his present home and mill property at the same time starting a tile 
and brick manufactory. He continued the last mentioned feature for six 
years, but finding it unprofitable, abandoned the manufacture of tile and 
brick and confined himself to making lumber. In addition to his other 
machinery, he put in a planer and has thus considerably extended his busi- 
ness by converting his ray material into finished product. 

In 1 861 he was married to Mrs. Elizabeth Shoup, but the only child of 
this union died in infancy and the mother passed away in 1875. In 1877, 
Mr. Sutter married Mrs. Cornelia Leader, who was born m Youngstown, 
Ohio, in 1836, and by her he has an only son named Charles. Though not 
a member of any church, Mr. Sutter believes that the carrying out of the 
golden rule embodies " all the law and the prophets."' His fraternal connec- 
tions are confined to membership in the Independent Order of Odd Felows. 
In conclusion it is but just to remark that Fredrick Sutter is a self-made man 
in the best sense of that word. Beginning life without means and little edu- 
cation, he now contemplates retiring from active business with a comfortable 
competence. Still more important as testimony of his qualities is the fact 
that his neighbors have implicit confidence both in his integrity and judgment 
and often consult him concerning difficulties of a private as well as public 
nature. 

NORMAN L. MACLACHLAN, M. D. 

It is not unusual in this work-a-day world to see young men having their 
own way to make, doing various odd jobs to earn a penny for the purpose of 
completing their education, and all honor should be paid them. That which 
is not worth great sacrifice would be a poor position indeed. These are the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 479 

sentiments of the gentleman here named, and he comes honestly by them, 
for his own experience was in consonance with them. The family of which 
Dr. Maclachlan is a member came from Scotland, the first member of which 
he has any authentic information being- his grandfather, Donald Maclach- 
lan, who was born in Argyleshire. in 1760, and died there in 1850. He mar- 
ried Agnes McFarlan and reared a family, of which our subject's father, 
Alexander ]\Iaclachlan, was the eighth child. He was born in Argyleshire, 
Scotland, on the nineth of June, 1809, and in 1840 came to Canada, where he 
settled in Middlesex county, province of Ontario. The Maclachlans have 
always been agricultural people, and Alexander w^as engaged in the occupa- 
tion of farming for a number of years in Canada, where he reared a family of 
ten children, all of whom are living except the youngest, who died in child- 
hood. Later he moved into Michigan, where he died in 1879. He had mar- 
ried Mary, the daughter of John Black, also a native of Scotland and a 
ganger by profession. His father, John Black, was born in Scotland, and 
lived out his days in that country. 

The gentleman whose name forms the immediate subject of this sketch 
and who is a physician of excellent standing in the medical circles of Findlay, 
Ohio, was born in Middlesex county, Ontario, November 26, 1854. From 
that section of the country he removed with his parents in May, 1861, to 
Argyle, Sanilac county, Michigan, where he passed the entire period of his 
youth and young manhood to the age of twenty. There he received such 
educational advantages as were to be had in the schools of a new country at 
that period, in the meantime doing an immense amount of physical labor, 
for his parents were not of the wealtliy class. The youth was imbued with 
the idea that he v, ould get an education at whatever cost, and at the age of 
fourteen began working in the lumber can.ips in the winter and attending 
school during the summers. Any one ^vho has any knowledge of the exceed- 
ingly severe physical labor exacted of employes in the lumber camps- will have 
some idea of the sacrifice and immense pains young jMaclachlan put forth in 
order to receive his education. Often it was necessary to stand in icy water, 
waist deep, in order to perform his part of the work in getting timber down 
the Cass river. He, however, persevered and is now able to look back to 
that time Avith a certain degree of satisfaction. Deciding upon the medical 
profession as his life work, he entered the office of Dr. William H. Greene, at 
Cass City, Michigan, where he read medicine under his direction for a period 
of one year. Having then saved sufficient money to enable him to attend 
college, he went to Ann Arbor, where he entered the medical department of 
the University of Michigan, succeeding in keeping himself steadily in the 



48o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

course until liis graduation on the 27th of March, 1878. Returning to the 
locahty where he was best known at Cass City, Michigan, he began practice 
at that i)oint. and for eleven years was so engaged, during which time it was 
necessary to make long drives over inferior roads and in all kinds of weather. 
Leaving that section in February, 1889 he came to Findlay, where he has 
since been engaged in practice. Dr. Maclachlan takes a very active interest in 
the public life of the communities in which he happens to reside, having served 
as mayor of Cass City, Michigan, during the years 1883 and 1884, and from 
1892 until 1898 was a member of the common council of Findlay, while for 
two years of that period he was president of that body. He was appointed a 
member of the board of United States pension examining surgeons by Pres- 
ident McKinley in October, 1897, and upon the organization of this board 
the doctor was elected its secretary, which position he is now filling. He is 
also the local surgeon for the Cin.cinnati, Hamilton & Dayton railroad and 
the Findlay, Fort Wayne & Western companies, and the surgeon for the 
Findlay city hospital. 

Dr. Maclachlan was married on the 27th of November, 1878, in Blen- 
heim, Ontario, to Emma, the daughter of John Jackson, now deceased, and 
to this imion one child was born, Ethel May. In matters pretaining to 
medical science the doctor is awake to the interests of his profession, and be- 
longs to the Northwestern Ohio Medical Association, to the Ohio State Me- 
dical Society and to the Hancock county Medical Society, in the latter of 
which he was president and is now vice-president. In matters fraternal he 
is a member of the Masonic Order and of the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows, having filled all the chairs in the latter organization. In political 
life Dr. Maclachlan is a stanch Republican and delights in the active work of 
his party, and whatever he is able to do in advancing the principles of that 
party in the minds of the people is done with alacrity and in the most cheerful 
spirit. Findlay is fortunate in possessing among her citizens a physician of 
the standing of Dr. Maclachlan, who is always awake to her interests. 

JOSEPH P. BAKER, M. D. 

Though a resident of Findlay only twelve years the subject of this sketch 
has already established himself so firmly in his profession as to make the 
future seem assured. His rise has been rapid, but only a natural result that 
follows careful preliminary preparation, backed by continuous study and a 
close attention to business. There is no mystery about it, however, it simply 
being another case of American vim and energy, supported by an honorable 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 481 

ambition directed by educated inteUigence. These are factors which usually 
secure. success, even under the most adverse circumstances, and their display 
has certainly brought Dr. Baker to the front rank among the practitioners of 
northwestern Ohio, while also giving him a leading place in other hnes allied 
to his professional work. If these compliments should seem strained to any 
one. this impression wall be dispelled by a reading of the biographical details 
which follow and which amply justify the eulogistic tone of the opening 
sentences. 

Joshua C. Baker, a native of Columbiana county, Ohio, has spent his life 
mostly in the combined occupations of farming and teaching. In 1863 he 
married Clarissa A. Moorhead, by wdiom he had six children, and one of 
these became the popular physician at Findlay with whom this biography is 
concerned. Joseph P. Baker was born at Fostoria, Ohio, June 9, 1864, 
and w^as an infant wdien his parents removed to Hancock county, where 
they have since resided. During his boyhood he attended school in the neigh- 
borhood of his father's farm in Portag'e and later at Findlay, and this educa- 
tional process continued until he had reached the sixteenth year of his age. 
He then made his first business venture as a teacher in the schools of ^Vood 
county, Ohio, in which occupation he continued for seven consecutive years. 
At the end of this time he came to Findlay and began the study of medicine 
under the preceptorship of Dr. Anson Hurd, one of the oldest physicians in 
point of practice in Hancock county. In 1888 he entered Starling Medical 
College, at Columbus, Ohio, and applied himself diligently to the course of 
study there until his graduation in the class of 1890. Dr. Baker was quite 
popular at Starling, both with the faculty and the students, and at the close 
of the term was honored by being made president of the graduating class. 
Immediately after leaving college he located at Findlay and entered actively 
upon the practice of his profession. In 1894 he attended the New York 
Polyclinic, and three years later took a post-graduate course in New York with 
a view to keeping himself abreast of all the new discoveries in every branch 
of medical science. His professional ability, aided by his gentlemanly bear- 
ing and genial address, soon fixed Dr. Baker hrmly as one of the features in 
the social and business growth of Findlay. His popularity has been proved 
in many ways, as will be shown by an enumeration of the honors and promo- 
tions conferred upon him at different times. Shortly after locating at Find- 
lay Dr. Baker was admitted as a member of the Northwestern Ohio Medical 
Association, and served as secretary of that body from 1895 until 1902. At 
the annual meeting of the association in the year last mentioned Dr. Baker 
was unanimously elected president, an honor w^hich is a sure index of the es- 



4«2 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

teem in which he is held in this section of the state. Speaking' of this elec- 
tion, the Findlay Courier, published in his home town, thus commented: 
"Dr. Baker has always been a \ery successful hgure in his profession, and 
the fact that so young a man as he has been elected to the presidency of the 
association stands as C[uite a compliment." Dr. Baker is also a member of 
the Hancock County Medical Society, the Ohio State Medical Society, the 
American ]\Iedical Association and the Order of Railway Surgeons. From 
1890 until 1893 he served on the pension board of Hancock county, and is 
at present the local surgeon of the Lake Erie and Western Railroad Company 
at Findlay. In addition to this he has served six years as local physician of 
the Orphans' Home at Findlay, and holds the chair of obstetrics in the Find- 
lay City Hospital. He is also the leading examining surgeon at Findlay for 
a number of life and accident insurance companies. 

On the social and fraternal side of life \\e find Dr. Baker filling a role 
m keeping with his professional prominence'. His classmates at the old alma 
mater have never forgotten the student days, and in 1901 he was elected 
president of the Alumni Association, in addition to an appointment as one 
of the censors of the college. In 1891 Dr. Baker was created a Master Mason 
m Findlay Lodge, No. 2.27; is a member of Findlay Chapter, No. 58, Council 
No. 50, Findlay Commandery No. 49 ; was made a Scottish Rite Mason in 
1898, at Cleveland, Ohio, and is a member of Zenobia Temple at Toledo. 
He is also a member of Findlay Lodge, No. 88, Knights of Pythias, Findlay 
Lodge, No. 75, of the Elks, and Hancock Lodge, No. yz^ of ^l^e Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows. His political affiliations are with the Republican 
party, though he has not been an aspirant for oflicial honors, aside from 
such as are appropriate to his profession. May 25, 1892, he w^as happily 
married to Miss Harriet, daughter of ]\Ir. and Mrs. Henry Schwartz, and 
with h.is \\ife enjoys a cordial welcome ,in the l)est society at Findlay. 

OTTA B. MARVIN. 

Though a young man and only in business about eleven years, the subject 
of this sketch has gained the title of the " popular jeweler " of Findlay. This 
complimentary designation he has earned and deserved, as well on account of 
his skill in the cunning workmanship required in his trade as by strict atten- 
tion to business and courtesy to customers. The family is of Pennsylvania 
origin, Ancie E. Marvin having been born in that state in 1836 and sought a 
home in Ohio where he lived until the time of his death. At the opening of 
the Civil war he enlisted as a private in the Fifty-seventh Regiment, Ohio 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL LIISTORY 483 

Volunteer Infantry, with which he served loyahy for two years. He married 
Margaret T. Hollawell, by whom he had six children, and of these the five 
survivors are thus named: Amanda J,, wife of J. N. Feller; Charles \V. ; 
Leonard A.; Otta B. and Frank J. The mother of this family died in 1895 
and the father, after surviving; her a few years, passed away in 1899. Otta 
B. Marvin, the fourth child in order of birth, was born on a farm in Marion 
township, Hancock county, Ohio, in 1868. He was brought to Findlay in 
infancy and there grew up while receiving his education in the city schools. 
Being naturally ambitious, and having no rich relatives to help hi 



nil, vounof 



Marvin began to look around at an early age for a means to insure a liveli- 
hood and lay a basis for future fortune. His inclinations were along the line 
of mechanics and his preference for the jeweler's trade. Accordingly, when 
only seventeen years old he took the necessary steps .to qualify himself for 
the calling decided upon as his life work. Having learned the details and 
niceties of the jeweler's art, he opened a store at Findlay in 1891 and no 
working day since has found him absent from his post. 

In 1889 Mr. Marvin led to the altar Miss Genevieve, the popular daugh- 
ter of Henry C. Latham, the ceremony being performed at the parental resi- 
dence in Findlay. Their household has been brightened by the births of 
three children: Helen E., Ancie L. and Margaret T. In politics Mr. Alar- 
vin affiliates with the Republican party, and gratifies his desire for fraternal 
fellowship by membership in the order of Elks. 



WILLARD GEORGE. 

It is the record of such men as Willard George that awakens the most 
interest, for in this country where no man is born to public honors or to pub- 
lic office, but where the road to these is that of usefulness and fidelity, warm 
commendation and interest is always elicited through the history of a self- 
made man who wins success and also gains the recognition of the public by 
reason of his fidelity to duty. Willard George is of this class. He is now 
one of the most trusted eniplo3'es in the Ohio Rolling Mill, of Findlayt and 
;s also a leader in Repul^lican circles. He was born in Portage, Wood 
county, Ohio, in 1874, a son of Edwin George, who is now a coal merchant 
on the north side of this city, but for a number of years he was proprietor 
of a grocery store in the eastern part of Findlay. In 1875 he removed to 
Hancock county, settling on a farm near Mount Cory, and when our subject 
was four years of age the father removed with his family to Kansas and 



484 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

afterward to Missouri. in 1889 he returned to this county and has since 
h^tw a resident of Findlay, being a recognized factor in commercial circles. 

Willard George was less than a year old when his parents first came to 
Findlay, and was a boy of four years when they removed to the west. When a 
youth of fifteen, after the return of the family to Hancock county, he entered 
the employ of the Findlay Rolling Mill Company as weigh boy, one of the most 
humble positions in the shops; but his close application, his ready mastery 
of the work entrusted to him and his fidelity constantly won him promo- 
tion. He worked in the forenoon, and in the afternoon, instead of spending 
his time idly, he attended the Findlay C(jllege, where he completed a busi- 
ness course. He then turned his entire attention to" the mastery of his trade, 
and to-day he is recognized as one of the best workmen in the highest class 
of skilled labor in the iron trade, that of puddler, or converting the material 
from pig" to wrought iron. His connection with the present firm covers 
three years, during which time he has enjoyed in a full measure the con- 
fidence of his employers and the respect of his associates. In fact, one o^. 
liis fellow^ workmen said : "Xot a man ever worked with him that was not 
his friend." 

It is this man who has gained prominence in Republican circles, becom- 
mg one of the leaders in the party, and in the year 1902 he became his party's 
candidate for the office of mayor. He is a practical and progressive busi- 
ness man and in any position to which he might be called he would be found 
reliable, capable and trustworthy. 

M.r. George enlisted for service in the Spanish-American war in May, 
1898, becoming a member of Company D, Second Regiment of the United 
States Engineers, in the capacity of a private. He served for one year, 
spending five months of that time in Cul^a. He has always been active in 
the work for the betterment of his fellow men, and no one has been more 
potent in the councils of the Pride of Findlay Lodge, No. 62. of the Amalga- 
mated Association of Iron, Steel & Tin Workers, than he. Every office 
in the gift of the lodge has been his and he represented his lodge at the na- 
tional convention in Milwaukee in 1901. 

On the 1st of Januai*y, 1902, Mr. George was united in marriage in 
Findlay, Ohio, to Ida G. Hoover, daughter of David Hoover, of Putnam 
street. They are well known young people of this city and have a large 
circle of friends here. Mr. George is truly a self-made man, for starting 
out in life empty-handed in a humble business capacity, he has steadily 
W'Orked his way upward until he is now a leading representative of the in- 
dustrial interests of this city. He keeps well informed on the issues and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 4^5 

questions of the day, and his labors in behalf of the Republican party have 
been effective and far reaching. He well deserves the honor which came 
to him in his nomination and it is a well known fact that in office Air. George 
Avould ever be found capable, just and faithful. 

HIRAM D. KRABILL. 

A family ^vhich has been intimately connected with the marvelous prog- 
ress and development of Hancock county, and whose associations with it 
have always been of an honorable and upright character, is that represented 
by the gentleman whose name precedes this paragraph. 

His grandfather, David Krabill, was a native of Stark county, Ohio, 
having first seen the light in that county November 3, 1806. He was the 
son of David and Mary Krabill. When he came to maturity he married 
Jemima Boden, the marriage occurring April 12, 1832. Jemima Boden Avas 
a native of Pennsylvania, having been born in that state, in Cumberland 
county, December 22, 1812. They reared a family of children consisting 
of Augustus, deceased, born February i, 1833; Jacob, September 4, 1834; 
Davis, July 7, 1836; Sara, January 29, 1839; Ann E., November 20, 1842; 
John W., November 29, 1846; Samuel D., August 23, 1849; Harriet, June 
24, 1852; Hiram B., October 21, 1854; Irene J., June 21, 1858. David 
Krabill was a practical farmer, pursuing agriculture with eminent success, 
and lived to the advanced age of eighty years. He was an earnest sup- 
porter of the principles of religion as set forth by the Dunkard organiza- 
tion. His son Augustus was born in Seneca county, Ohio, where he grew 
to manhood and married Elizabeth Davis in 1855. The union was pro- 
ductive of four children, two of whom are living: Hiram D., whose name 
heads this sketch, and Freeman Krabill, residing at present in Gratiot coun- 
ty, Michigan. The father owned and operated a farm of three hundred and 
twenty acres, which he had acquired by hard personal labor. He was a pop- 
ular man in his day, w^as a scientific and practical agriculturist and a most 
loyal citizen. He served frequently in the minor offices of the community, 
for a number of terms having been justice of the peace, the duties of which 
office he discharged with credit to himself and to his constituents. He 
also was a member of the Dunkard church, and was highly respected for his 
upright and worthy character. After passing a useful life in the county 
of his adoption, and mourned by family and friends alike, he died in 1894. 
The wife survives him, being still hale and hearty at the age of eighty-seven 
vears. 



486 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Hiram D. Krabill was born in Big Lick township October 5, i860, 
where he was given the advantages of an excellent district school, and later 
took a course in the public schools of Findlay, finally finishing at Ashland 
College. For eight successive years after his graduation at Ashland Col- 
lege he acted as instructor in the schools of his native county. This, how- 
ever, was not so much to his taste as the rural life of a farmer. He there- 
fore ceased teaching, purchased a farm and has since been engaged in agri- 
cultural pursuits. Mr. Krabill is a popular young man, and very active in 
supporting the principles of the Republican party. He was such an earnest 
and successful worker in the ranks of that organization that he was selected 
in 1900 to make the race for sheriff of the county on the Republican ticket. 
Hancock county is noted for its close contests, and never was there a more 
spirited one than occurred in that year. Owing to complications which Mr. 
Krabill and his associates could not forsee, he suffered defeat, but by only 
thirty-four votes. For the past twelve years he has been an efficient and 
active member of the school board of his township, the high character of the 
schools showing the quality of his efforts in that field. The farm upon 
which he now resides was purchased in 1881 by his father, and at the latter's 
death he inherited the property. His domestic life began in 1883, when he 
chose as a companion and helpmate on life's journey Miss Sara Hill. Of 
their four children only two are living : Aria P. and Lizzie R. Mrs. 
Krabill, who was a lady of refined and gentle character, died in 1892, and as 
a mother for his orphaned children Mr. Krabill chose Miss Rose L. Shap- 
stein, the marriage occurring in 1894. The second wife is a native of Mich- 
igan, where she was born April 10, 1867. Mr. and Mrs. Krabill are both 
consistent and earnest workers in what is known as the Progressive Dunkard 
church. They are respected residents of their community, and are esteemed 
for their many good qualities of heart and mind. 

HUGH J. KEEXAN. 

Hugh J. Keenan, wdio Avas for many years a resident of Findlay, Ohio, 
where he was extensively engaged in the oil business, was born in St. Cath- 
erine, Canada, in the year 1864, his father, who for eighteen years was a 
locomotive engineer, having been temporarily engaged there at that time. 
The latter died in Meadville, Pennsylvania, in 1884, and the mother's death 
occurred at Corry, that state, in 1872. From his native place the son Hugh 
removed with his parents to Corry, Pennsylvania, where he remained until 
his seventh vear, while for the following- twentv vears he w^as a resident 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 487 

of Meadville, that state, receiving his education in the latter city. After 
his marriage Mr. Keenan went with his bride to the oil fields near Brad- 
ford, Pennsylvania, in McKean county, entering the employ of the United 
Pipe Line, but after a residence there of one year he removed to Findlay, 
Ohio, still retaining his connection with the same company, for whom he 
acted as ganger until September, 1899. After spending about fifteen years 
in various capacities in the oil fields Mr. Keenan decided to engage in the 
business on his own account, and from 1899 until his removal to his present 
location was very successful in his ventures. In November, 1902, he re- 
moved to Crawford county, Pennsylvania, his post office address being Con- 
neaut Lake, where he is now extensively engaged in the stock business. On 
the 1 2th of September, 1902, he purchased of Mrs. Adam Fullhart the cele- 
brated Galbeton, with a record of 2:1154, and he is also the owner of Mov- 
ing Star, with a trial record of 2 :i8 at four years old. 

In Crawford county, Pennsylvania, on the 5th of August, 1884, Mr. 
Keenan was united in marriage to Minerva Ettie Keen, a daughter of John 
P. Keen, also a native of the Keystone state. Two children have been born 
unto this union, — Floy M. and Katherine A. In his fraternal relations Mr. 
Keenan is a member of Findlay Commandery, No. 49, and politically is 
allied with the Democracy. He is well and favorably known in the localities 
in which he has made his home as an enterprising and successful business 
man, and has won the respect and confidence of his townsmen and co- 
workers. 

willia:^! alspach. 

William Alspach is one of the leading mercliants and public spirited busi- 
ness men of Vanlue, and is proud to be the descendant of one of Hancock 
county's oldest pioneers. His grandfather Adam was a brave soldier in the 
war of 1812; his wife was Barbara Wyant, and they were both natives of 
Pennsylvania. They came to Hancock county in 1829 and there entered one 
hundred and sixty acres of government land in Amanda township, where they 
took up their residence in the following year. He was a hard working man 
and did much to prepare the way for those to follow in the path of the first 
pioneers. He was born in 1788 and died in 1856, his wife surviving him 
ten years. Their family consisted of nine children, three of them yet living. 

Daniel, one of their sons, was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, in 181 1. 
and came with his father to Hancock county in 1830. He followed the life 
of a farmer and made marked success in this calling. In 1836 he married 



488 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Catherine A. Vanlue, who was born in Northumberland county, Pennsyl- 
vania, in 1818, and came to this county in 1833. Daniel Alspach died April 
I, 1891, but his wife is still living, enjoying the love and esteem of all around 
her. They became the parents of ten children, and six are yet living : Bar- 
bara, Elizabeth, Alice, S. V., James P. and William; they hold various posi- 
tions in society and are counted among the best citizens of the county. 

William Alspach was born in Amanda township April 13, 1840, and 
his early life was spent in the healthy environments of the farm. He had 
arrived at man's estate when the Civil w^ar broke out, and he entered the 
service as a member of Company E, One Hundred and Ninety-seventh Regi- 
ment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry; he enlisted for three years, but at the close 
of the war was discharged. On his return from the army he entered the 
mercantile business and has continued this with gratifying success up to the 
present time. He conhnes his stock to groceries and keeps only those of 
the highest quality and fresh from the market; by his thorough business 
methods he has gained and kept a large and satisfied patronage. 

Mr. Alspach has also been prominent in the public afi:airs of his town. 
During President Cleveland's administration he held the office of postmas- 
ter, and he was also mayor of Vanlue for two years; he is a member of the 
Independent Order of Odd Eellows and is past noble grand and past chief 
patriarch. On November 24, 1859, he was married to a daughter of George 
and Mary ]\I. Cross, Miss Elizabeth J., who was born in Hancock county 
on February 24, 1841, and died February 21, 1877. Four of their five 
children are now living: P. D. L., James A., W. P. and Lucy J. 

WILLIAAI C. NEIBLING. 

This urbane and highly esteemed representative of the medical fraternity 
of Hancock county is a native of the city of Findlay, where he was born 
yVpril II, 185 1. He passed the period of adolescence in this city, receiv- 
ing an excellent foundation for the further literary course which he added 
to his equipment before he began the study of medicine. He took up the 
study of medicine in Plndlay with Dr. J. C. Tritch, and after a year or two 
reading in his office, matriculated with the Pulte Medical College at Cincin- 
nati, Ohio. Here he continued his studies continuously until 1889, when he 
received the diploma of that institution. He returned immediately to his 
home town and took up active practice, in which he has been engaged since. 
Dr. Neibling is a deep student in the medical profession. He takes a keen 
interest in everything that pertains to it, and is never satisfied to allow him- 




rv\A, >'^UjlvVvvvw^ 





c^^^tf^ 





CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 489 

self to become rusty. He has taken several post-graduate courses in the Xew 
York Polyclinic School, and has also attended post-graduate schools at the 
C:hicago Homeopathic College. He takes an active interest in the different 
medical organizations in his section of the state, the Ohio Medical Society, 
the Northwestern Ohio Medical Association, and the Orificial Society of Sur- 
geons. He is an active member of the Knights of Pythias organization, is 
a member of the Elks fraternity, and by virtue of his father's military record,, 
a member of the Loyal Legion. Dr. Xeibling never married. 

Looking somewhat into the earlier history of the Neibling family, Dr. 
Neibling was a son of James M. Neibling, a gentleman who was a native 
of Fairfield, Ohio, where he was born in 1827. In young manhood he re- 
moved to Hancock county, where he engaged in merchandising for several 
years in Findlay. He was a gentleman who took an active part in the public 
life of the community, and displaying qualities that made him peculiarly fit 
for the office of sheriff, he was in 1856 elected to that office and in 1858 
received re-election. When the dark days of the rebellion broke over the 
country, he was one of the very first to offer his services, in 1861 being made 
lieutenant colonel of the Thirty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantr}-, in which posi- 
tion he served until 1863, when in January of that year he was promoted 
for meritorious conduct on the field to a full colonelcy. He served until 
January of 1865, when, having lost his right arm at the battle of Resaca, 
he resigned and returned home, having made a splendid record as a most 
gallant defender of the Union, and having been breveted brigadipr general. 
After the war he was a merchant in Findlay until the time of his death, which 
occurred in 1869. Li 1866 he received the appointment of postmaster of 
Fmdlay from the hands of President Johnson, and it was while filling this 
office that his death occurred. Previous to his record as a soldier in the 
Civil war, Colonel Neibling had been connected with the military affairs, 
of his country, having served during the whole period of the Mexican war, 
serving as a private soldier. Dr. Neibling's grandfather was Christian 
Neibling, who was a gallant soldier in the war of 181 2. The Neiblings are 
of German descent, the great-great-grandfather of our subject, the first 
American ancestor, emigrating to America from Saxony. 

CHARLES MALLEN. 

In a notable speech made at New Orleans in 1846 in aid of the sufferers, 
by the Irish famine of that period. Sergeant S. Prentiss, the celebrated 
:\Iississippi orator, thus opened his address: "Far awav to the eastward 

31 



490 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

lies an island famous in story and in song; she has contributed to the world 
more than her due share of wit and eloquence, and her sons have fought suc- 
cessfully on all fields save their own." One naturally recalls this glorious 
tribute to a remarkable race when dealing- with any of its members in a 
biographical way, and it is not too much to say that the Emerald Isle has 
sent no worthier sons to America than the Mallen family. Like most other 
emigrants that crossed over from that unhappy land, they came with little 
means and were compelled to face the labor problem in its se\erest forms 
to obtain a means of livelihood. James Mallen was born in Dublin 
in 1837, embarked for America in 1866 and after his arrival located in New 
York state, where he secured employment. He is still residing at James- 
town, New York. He was married at Dublin, Ireland, in 1866 to Mary 
Daily, by whom he had six children. 

Charles Mallen, one of the children, was born at DeBruce, New York, 
April 4, 1873, and remained there during the early years of his childhood, 
but later accompanied his parents to Jamestown, New York. As he grew up 
he became familiar with the insurance business, for which he exhibited an 
early aptitude, and when he came to Findlay in 1895 ^^^ '^^'^s made agent of the 
Prudential Insurance Company at that point, which position he has continued 
to hold up to the present time. Mr. Mallen possesses the sua\e and easy ad- 
dress peculiar to his race, and during- his career at Findlay has done well, 
both for himself and his company. 

In 1899 Mr. Mallen was united in marriage with Miss Katherine Dun- 
ford, a most estimable young lady of Findlay, whose untimely death threw 
a gloom over more than one household where her name was cherished. Mrs. 
Mallen's death occurred on the 6th of August, 1900, leaving an infant son 
who was christened Charles J. Mr. Mallen, like his ancestors for genera- 
tions back, is a devout member of the Roman Catholic church, and h(jlds fra- 
ternal connections with the Knights of Columbus. 

W. A. WISE. 

When, about the middle of the last century, it was found that crude 
petroleum could be refined so as to make a most valuable product for com- 
mercial purposes and completely do away with the old tallow candles 
for lighting, there was a rush for the oil fields of western Pennsylvania, and 
in a few years the oil produced from that region made a large percentage of 
the total exports of the United States. This industry has not been con- 
fined in recent years to this one favored spot of the Union, but has spread and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 49 » 

has become one of the sources of weahh in various parts of the country. 
When the oil business was at its height in Pennsylvania, about the year 1874. 
there was born in the vicinity of the oil belt, in AIcKean county, a young man 
who was to make good use of the knowledge gained from observation and 
experience in the business, when he took up his home in the neighboring state 
of Ohio. This was W. A. Wise, whose boyhood was spent in the busy scenes 
about the Allegheny river, where he became familiar with the production of 
oil from the time it was taken in the crude state from the wells until the 
refined product was barreled and shipped to the marts of trade. His father, 
John B. Wise, assisted him and encouraged him in this branch of business 
until his death, four years after which sad event, and when he was seven- 
teen years old. he came with his mother, in 1891, to Hancock county, where 
he set to work to develop the oil fields of this region. Bv close sa^'ing he 
soon had money enough to drill for himself. He has done a great deal to 
make the business here profitable and is now considered indispensable to its 
success. On the fifty-five acres of land which he owns in Liberty town- 
ship he has fifteen producing oil wells, which return a handsome revenue 
every month. In addition to this he farms his land, and his place is one of 
the models of the county. 

In 1894 Mr. Wise married the only daughter of one of the old and re- 
spected citizens of this county. Miss Nella, the daughter of W. C. and Susan 
Watson. She was born March 12, 1876, on the farm in Liberty township 
adjoining the one which she inherited from her father and now lives on with 
her husband. The first child to come into their happy home was born in 
1894 and was given the name ot Ruth by her grandfather; in 1899 a son 
was born, who now bears the name of his mother's father. William C. 
Watson. 

CHARLES A. BOND. 

One of the enterprising- and successful young business men of Findlay, 
Ohio, is Charles A. Bond, the popular manager of the National Clothing an.d 
Shoe House, of this city. Mr. Bond is a son of Findlay, born here in 1873, 
and was reared and educated in his native city. 

The successful career of Mr. Bond shows what may be accomplished 
by the application of energy and in.dustry, combined with honesty and a 
pleasant and courteous demeanor. In 1887 he entered the clothing store of 
Samuel Lippman in the humble position of cash boy, and his close applica- 
tion and faithful service were rewarded seven years later by an excellent 
position as salesman. When the business changed hands in 1894 he went as 



492 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

a clerk, with Mr. Lippmaii's successor, A. Weiss, and soon was made head 
salesman in this large establishment. When another change came in the 
business, and the National company w^as formed, Mr. Bond still w-as con- 
tinued in his position, and in 1900 he was made general manager. His long 
connection with the business renders him almost invaluable, but he has 
made his own career by his individual efforts. 

In October, 1899, our subject was married to Miss Blanche Hull, who 
is a daughter of J. G. Hull, of Findlay, and one son, Girard D., was born 
to this union. In politics Mr. Bond adheres to the principles of the Repub- 
lican party, while in fraternal life he is a member of the Elks, the Knights 
of Pythias and Uniform Rank, and. the Knights of Khorassan. 

DAVID BECK. 

Andrew and Catherine Beck were natives of the state of Pennsylvania 
over a century ago and after growing up to maturity there removed, in the 
earlv history of the future state of Ohio, to what is now Fairfield county, 
and irom there came, in 1838, to Hancock county, wdiere Andrew entered 
eighty acres of land and during the remainder of his life cleared and im- 
proved the larger part of this. Pie v/as not only one of the earliest pioneers 
of Hancock county, Ijut also of Fairfield county. He had served in the war 
of 1812. After coming to Hancock county he lost his wife and he then 
broke up his home and for the rest of his life lived with his daughter, Mrs. 
Bachar, of Wyandot. There were seven children in his family, but they 
have all now passed away. 

Of this number there was a son, also called Andrew, who was born in 
Fairfield county, October 20, 1807; in 1834 ;ie came with his family to Han- 
cock county and in Amanda township took up one hundred and sixty acres 
of land, which in the course of hard, earnest labor he brought under a fine 
state of cultivation. He w^as a man of much strength of character, large 
hearted and hospitable in the extreme. Pie w^as a Democrat and a mem- 
ber of the Lutheran chinxh. His wife was Lydia Fenstmacher, wdio w^as 
born in Fairfield county in 1814; she died in 1868, and he passed away in 
1882. Seven of the ten children born to them are now living, and two, Mrs. 
R. Alspach and David, are in this county. 

David Beck, the life of whom it is the purpose of this sketch to briefly 
outline, claims Amanda township as the place of his birth, his natal day be- 
ing April 10, 1845. After he had passed his boyhood days on his fa- 
ther's farm and. like the other boys of his neighborhood, had attended the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 493 

district school, he chose as his permanent occupation the independent hfe of 
a farmer, and in connection with this he engaj^ed in threshing for fifteen 
years. He embarked on his own agricultural course in 1869 and began to 
accumulate real estate until he now owns a fine farm of one hundred and 
tliirteen acres, which he devotes to general farming and stock raising. In 
1901, having gained a considerable competence through his careful and well 
directed labor he retired from his farm and now resides in Vanlue. 

Mr. Beck was twice married. His first wife was Mrs. Mary B. Akam, 
and their marriage took place in 1869 ; she bore one son, Lawrence A., and her 
death occurred in 1890. For his second wife he took on September 3, 1891, 
Mrs. Cynthia McClelland; to them were born Clyde, May 21,. 1892, For 
six years Mr. Beck has held the position of trustee of Amanda township. 
In fraternal relations he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd F"el- 
lows, in which he is past grand. 

CLAYTON W. FORD. 

Clayton W. Ford is one of the leading dairy farmers in Marion town- 
ship, Hancock county, and owns one hundred and twenty acres of fertile 
and valuable land there, a part of which is situated within the city limits. 

The birth of Mr. Ford took place in Liberty township, Hancock county, 
on June 15, 1852, and he is a son of Jesse and Mary (Powell) Ford, the. 
former of whom was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, December 2, 1822, and 
the latter in Hancock county September 16, 1831. Jesse Ford was a man of 
education, for a considerable time taught school and through life was re- 
garded by his neighbors as possessed of excellent judgment as well as a 
farmer of more than usual ability. He began life on a farm of eighty acres, 
and at the time of his death, August 16, 1888, he owned three hundred 
acres. His fellow citizens regarded him with so much confidence that he 
was elected to a number of the local offices within their gift, and for a long 
lime he was one of the township supervisors and school directors. His 
widow still survives. 

Clayton W. Ford began life for himself in the possession of an excellent 
education, having taken a full course in the Findlay high school, with the 
intention of following a teacher's profession, which plan he put into opera- 
tion, and for five years was one of the popular and successful educators of this 
county. In 1876 he began his acquirement of land, purchasing at that time 
a tract of ten acres, as a nucleus. To this he gradually added as fortune 
favored him, until he is now the owner of one hyndred and twenty acres of 



494 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

the finest dairy land in the county. His stock has been well selected both 
for productiveness and quality of milk and cream, and thus he is enabled to 
secure very satisfying prices for his output. Mr. Ford keeps fifty head 
of cattle through the whole year, his dairy stock numbering forty head. 

Mr. Ford has put his knowledge of the dairy business, in its relation to 
the care and protection of his stock, to a very practical use, by an invention 
which should be in the hands of every dairy farmer and cattle raiser. This 
is a very ingenious arrangement which its inventor has named the Anti- 
Cattle fighter, and which consists of a kind of cap worn on the head of the 
animal, and which is so controlled by a halter as to make fighting among ani- 
mals an impossibility. It is an invention remarkable for its practicability, its 
durability and its cheapness. Mr. Ford secured a patent in the United States 
January 28, 1902, and in Canada February 4, of the same year. Since oc- 
cupying his present quarters our subject has been continually engaged in im- 
proving every part of his domain, and, as we have noted, owais one of the 
most complete dair)' farms and dairy outfits in Hancock county. 

September i, 1886, Mr. Ford was united in marriage with Miss Harriet 
C. Hagerman, who was born in Montour county, Pennsylvania, January 
12, 1853, a daughter of Mahlon and Catherine Hagerman. No children 
have been born to this marriage. Mr. Ford aijoys the reputation of being 
one of the most reliable as well as substantial citizens of his township. With 
credit he has served as school director, and takes a deep interest in all meas- 
.in-es which promise to be of benefit to his locality. In dairy matters he is 
justly considered an excellent authority. 



WILLIAM HARROP. 

A man who early sought his fortunes in America and who has believed 
in his adopted country ever since landing in it is Mr. William Harrop, a 
prominent oil producer in Findlay. Mr. Flarrop w'as born in Birmingham, 
England, in 1837, and came to America in 1855. He went directly to New- 
ark, New Jersey, where he resided for two years. The metropolis of the 
United States attracted him, and during the time he lived in New York he 
was the foreman for F. Stephens on Pearl street, a well known dealer in mili- 
tary equipment. An Englishman takes naturally to the implements of war, 
which probably led to his choice of an occupation. His adaptability in this 
class of work led to his employment in the United States ordnance depart- 
ment at Watervliet arsenal, where he remained nearly four years. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 495 

The oil excitement in the Pennsylvania oil fields attracted him to that 
part of the country, to which he went in 1865, where he learned practically 
the entire business of oil producing. He was afterward identified in com- 
mercial enterprises, among which was a wholesale and retail crockery busi- 
ness in Jamestown, New York, in which he was interested for some eight 
years. In 1886 he moved to Findlay, Ohio, where he has lived ever since, 
again going into the oil producing business, and in which he is widely known. 

In 1 87 1 Mr. Harrop was united in marriage to Sarah J. Fellers, and 
•^here have been four children to bless this union, as follows: Clara L., wife 
of J. A. Skillen; Mabel, wife of C. A. Earl; Arthur H. and Alice. Mr. 
Harrop is a member of the Masonis order of Troy, New York, and he and 
his family are connected with the Presbyterian church of Findlay. In po- 
litical faith Mr. Harrop is Republican, giving his hearty support to the meas- 
ures of that party. 

CLINTON S. CORTHELL. ■ 

This gentleman, at present one of the prosperous and prominent capi- 
talist of Findlay, illustrates by his experience the ups and downs of the oil 
industry, — its fascinating promises of fortune, as well as its equally abundant 
opportunities for failure. He has had his full measure of failures and suc- 
cesses, disappointments and "lucky strikes," coming out of it all at last on the 
top wave and achieving a standing among the successful business men of his 
adopted state. At the present time he holds high official positions in connec- 
tion with various manufacturing plants, in which also he is a principal 
owner, and enjoys high consideration in the financial circles of Findlay. Clin- 
ton S. Corthell was born on a farm in Cattaraugus county. New York, in 
1844, received his education in the schools at Franklin ville and retained his 
home there until 1872. In 1864 he concluded to "try his luck" in the Penn- 
sylvania oil fields, where he started at the bottom, but in three years man- 
aged to make some six or eight thousand dollars. With this capital he re- 
turned to the county of his nativity and engaged in farming four or five years. 
His next venture was the purchase of a stage line between Franklinville and 
Arcadia, New York, which he operated six years, and made some money out 
of the business. The old fascination and success, however, drew him back 
to the eastern Pennsylvania oil fields, where, to use Mr. Corthell's own ex- 
pressive language, he eventually "went broke." After a struggle with var}'- 
ing fortunes in this field for fifteen years and in the end seeing his previous 
accumulations vanish, he determined to transfer his scene of operations to 



496 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Ohio. Locating" at Findlay, fortune again smiled upon him, and at the 
end of a \tr\ acti\e business career he has an abundance of this world's 
g-oods to attest to his good management and financial ability. His first in- 
vesthient ^.\as in the livery business, which he conducted with profit for 
seven years. As side lines he bought farms in partnership with C. L. Cas- 
terline, and was in the glycerine business until 1898. In 1886 the Genesee 
Oil Company was organized and Mr. Corthell was elected its president and 
general manager, a position which he has since continuously held. The 
Bradford Oil Company, consisting of Clinton S. Corthell and C. L. Caster- 
line, was organized in 1898 as successor of the Bradford Glycerine Com- 
pany, and of this Mr. Corthell is half owner and general manager. 

In 1887, while living in Pennsylvania, Mr. Corthell was wedded to 
Miss Alary Boyington, by whom he has one daughter, named Celia J. For 
eight years he has been a member of the city council of Findlay. elected on 
the Democratic ticket, and he has been influential in shaping the legislation 
and finances of the city. He is a popular and prominent member of the 
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, being a charter member of that 
organization at Findlay. Mr. Corthell may be described as a strong man, 
both physically and mentally, an incessant worker and resourceful man- 
ager, whose most noticeable peculiarity is the possession of what in common 
parlance is called ''good common sense." 

ANDERSON C. HECK. 

Many of the foremost people of Findlay have been 1)()rn, have lived and 
received their education in the town, electing to make it their permanent abid- 
ing place, thereby showing their faith in its future, and having their inter- 
ests centered in its interests. Of such is Anderson C. Heck, who was born 
in Findlay on October 11, 1854. Fie has lived in Findlay all his life, with the 
exception of tlie years from 1893 to 1901, during which time he was engaged 
in the glass business in Delaware county, Indiana. 

Mr. Heck's father was George Heck. \\ho moved from Pennsylvania 
some years previous to his birth, With his father he started a hardware 
store in Findlay in 1873, and continued in the business for eight years. After 
leaving the hardware business he became a lumber merchant until, 1887. In 
1888. realizing- the opportunities for the glass business, he organized the 
Model Flint Glass Company, of \A'hich he was made president, and in which 
capacity he ser\-ed until 1901, exercising an active supervision over its affairs. 
This company was absorbed by the National Glass Company of Pittsburg, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 497 

Pennsylvania, in which corporation Mr. Heck now holds stock. In 1901, 
he went into the fonndry in j^indiay, which is known as the Heck & Marvin 
Company. 

He was married in 1879 in Findlay to Jennie E. Livingston; they have 
one daughter, Bird M. Mrs. Heck, who died June 24, 1901, w-as a daughter 
of Pierce Li\'ingston, a native of Scotland, and her mother, Nancy (Schren- 
cost) Livingston, now- resides at Carey, Ohio. His record in public positions 
of trust has been long- and useful. In politics he is a firm Republican, and 
served the city of Findlay as councilman from the second ward for one year, 
overcoming a Democratic majority of ninety. While living in Delaware 
county, Lidiana, he served for four years as a school trustee. He was one 
of the incorporators of Findlay College, and held the office of secretary of the 
board of trustees for two years when he resigned. He donated liberally to- 
ward the erection of the college, as did his father and his brother John Heck. 
He is a Royal Arch Mason, an Odd Fellow and a member of the B. P. O. 
Elks, in all of wdiich organizations he is a highly respected and worthy 
member. 

LOUIS KARG. 

The subject of this sketch has long been knowm in Findlay, in three dif- 
ferent capacities ; first as a butcher, next as as an ice and coal dealer, and later 
as a producer of oil. He is a typical German, with all the peculiarities of his 
race, prominent among which are industr}^ economy and a rare talent for 
getting on in the world. They easily adapt themselves to surroundings and 
conditions, have the faculty of making friends and are almost invariably ex- 
cellent citizens. 

Louis Karg w^as the first of the name to locate at Findlay. His birth oc- 
curred in Germany in 1827, and after marrying there he came to America. 
Having lost his first wife by death he again married, in Chicago, and by this 
union there w^ere three children: Louis; Lena, wife of Jacob Baker; and 
Charles E. Louis Karg engaged in the butcher's business at Findlay, and car- 
ried it on for many years and his second wife died in that city in 1877. Their 
eldest son, Louis Karg, was born at Findlay, November 15, i860, and w^as 
reared as well as educated in his native city. In boyhood he was taken into 
his father's shop, taught the business and worked at it for twenty years. In 
1890, however, he abandoned butchering to embark in the ice and coal 
trade, which occupied his time for nine years, wdien he made another change 
to the business of producing oil. This has constituted his employment for 



49« CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

the last four years and he has obtained a fair measure of success from his 
ventures. Mr. Karg is unmarried. His rehgious affiliations are with the 
German Lutheran church, and in politics he is an adherent of Democracy. 
His only fraternal connections are with the Knights of Pythias, his mem- 
bership being with lodge No. 400 of that order. 'Mr. Karg is esteemed by 
his intimates and respected by his acquaintances, being one of those men who 
make many friends and few enemies. 

N ELS EN R. SWARTZ. 

Though descended from a line of farmers the subject of this review 
has chosen to secure a living from the soil in a different w^ay, that of oil-pro- 
ducing. His grandfather was George Swartz, a Pennsylvanian, though he 
later migrated to Ohio, in which state he died in 1871, havmg been all his 
life a farmer. The son of George Swartz, Solomon Swartz, the father of 
Nelsen R. Swartz, is now a retired farmer of Hancock county. He was born 
in Fairfield county, this state in 1836, and has lived in Hancock county 
since 1859; he married Sarah A. Radebaugh, and they had six children, of 
whom four survive, as follows : Charles S. ; Morris W. ; Nelsen R. and 
Merle E. 

Nelsen R. Swartz was born on a farm in Liberty township, Hancock 
county, in December, 1873, wdiere he lived during his earlier years, attending 
the country schools and working on the farm. At the age of seventeen, 
however, he was attracted to the oil fields, and started to work as a pumper. 
He made unusual progress in the methods of the business, skipping the usual 
course of dressing tools and attending the drill, and commenced contracting 
and producing on his own account at a very early age. He is now engaged 
in oil producing, having located in Findlay in 1899. 

Mr. Swartz was married in 1899, in Detroit, Michigan, to Minnie M. 
Marstellar, daughter of James Marstellar, of that city, and they have one 
son, Herbert M. Mr. Swartz is a thorough-going Republican, and is num- 
bered among the ranks of the Odd Fellows of Findlay. 

GEORGE A. DEHILMAN. 

As a fruit state, Ohio has long been among the foremost of the L-nion, 
her natural advantages and climate tending to produce some of the finest 
fruit in the world. Among those who have taken advantage of this fact and 
succeeded in making it an exclusive industrv is George A. Deihlman, of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 499 

Findlay. Mr. Deihlman was born in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, in 1832, 
and came to America in 1853. His father, Adam Deihlman, hved and died 
in the fatherland. The first work our subject engaged in after arriving in 
America was in a bone-dust factory near New York city. It was there he 
doubtless learned some of the secrets of cultivating the soil of America. He 
then moved to Stark county, Ohio, where he went into the pottery business 
at Limonville, and in that business he continued about eighteen years. In 
1 87 1 he moved to Findlay, working some six years in a pottery factory, and 
later for several years as road contractor. Believing there was a future in 
the fruit raising business he went into that on an extensive scale, in which he 
has continued and prospered. 

He served his adopted country in the war of the Rebellion as faithfully 
as any of her sons, and though his war record was not as long as many others 
it was no less praiseworthy. He served in Company F, One Hundred and 
Fifteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, as a private from January, 1864, until 
the close of the war, his company having- principally been engaged in skirm- 
ishes along the border. He keeps up his interest in war times as a member 
of Stoker Post, No. 54, G. A. R., in which he now holds the honorable po- 
sition of treasurer. In politics Mr. Deihlman is a stanch Republican. 

In 1854 the subject of this sketch was united in marriage to Elizabeth 
Hoffman, and of their eleven children eight are still living. Mr. Deihlman's 
religious connection is with the Evangelical church. 

CHARLES W. MASCHO. 

A man who has worked his w^ay to the top in the oil business is Mr. 
Charles W. Mascho, who is the manager of the National Supply Company. 
Mr. Mascho was born in Tioga county, Pennsylvania, in a small village 
called Brookfield, in which place he lived and attended school to the age of 
twelve years, when his parents moved to McKean county, in the same state, 
which is situated in the oil belt. They remained in that locality about five 
years, and removed to Allegany county, New York, in which place they lived 
four years. Mr. Mascho finished his education at Bolivar, in the state of New 
York, and with his father returned to the oil region of Pennsylvania, and 
went to work in the oil business. Our subject continued at this work for 
eighteen months, at the end of which period he removed to Findlay, in the 
year 1886. He went to work in the Carrothers Rolling Mill, working on 
the rolls, and held that position a year, at the end of which time he accepted a 
clerkship with the firm of J. B. McElvaine & Company for six months. He 



500 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

became a prospector for oil on his own account in a short time, and before 
long went to w^ork as a clerk for the Buckeye Supply Company, which later 
became the National Supply Company. His business ability has been of 
such a character that he has advanced steadily, and is now the district man- 
ager of that concern. 

Mr. Mascho was married, in 1899, in Findlay, to Matilda, a daughter of 
Joseph Martin. He is identified with the Knights of Pythias, and is thor- 
oughly independent in politics. 

Mr. Mascho's father was John J. Mascho, who was born in Tioga 
county, Pennsylvania, in the year 1838, and died in 1899. He was a farmer 
during his early years and w^as engaged in the oil business during the lat- 
ter part of his life, in which occupation he was engaged at the time of his 
death. He left five children surviving. 

ANDREW B^H. 

The gentleman of whom we are now permitted to write was county 
treasurer of Hancock county at the time of his death, which occurred Septem- 
ber 14, 1901. He w^as born in Fairfield county, Ohio, April 2, 1834, and 
was a son of Henry Bish, and a grandson of Henry Bish, Sr. The 
latter was born in Virginia in 1795, but late in life removed to San- 
dusky count}', Ohio, where his death occurred in 1875. Andrew Bish, of 
this review, was reared and educated in the place of his nativity, 
and after arriving at the age of maturity came with his parents to 
Sandusky county, Ohio, where the father purchased a farm. The son 
continued to reside at home for the following five years, and in 1858 came 
to Marion township, Hancock county, where he was a prominent member of 
the agricultural class until 1895. In that year he rented his farm and moved 
into the city of Findlay, where he continued to reside until his death. During 
the period of the Civil war he served with what is known as the Hundred 
Day Men, and in 1898, on the Republican ticket, he was elected treasurer of 
Hancock county, being re-elected to the position in 1900, and was the in- 
cumbent at the time of his death. In 1857 ^'^^- ^ish was united in marriage 
to Minerva, daughter of George and Catherine Gear, and to this union were 
born the following children: William S.. who is mentioned below; Mary 
C, the wife of Benjamin F. Burns, of Findlay, Ohio; Martha, who died in 
infancy; and Charles. 

William S. Bish, the eldest son of Andrew and Minerva Bish. was born 
in Sandusky county, Ohio, November 26, 1857, and came with his parents 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 501 

to Hancock county in 1858. He was reared on the home farm in Alarion 
township, receiving an excellent education in the schools of the district, and 
this was supplemented by further study in the Findlay city schools. Closing 
his school life in 1877, he returned to the home farm, and there remained for 
the following two years engaged in agricultural pursuits. In 1879 he en- 
tered upon a course in a business college at Grand Rapids, Michigan, fol- 
lowing which he passed six months in a grocery store in Findlay. He then 
became bookkeeper at the First National Bank of Findlay, where he remained 
until the latter part of 1883, and then bought an interest in a grocery store 
m this city. Selling his interest therein a year later, he went to Garden City, 
Kansas, where for the following four years he was engaged in the banking 
business, but finding there was no state like the old Buckeye he returned to 
Findlay and for a period w^as engaged in oil operations. In September, 1898, 
he entered the treasurer's office as his father's deputy, and after the latter's 
death was appointed by the county commissioners of Hancock county to fill 
out the unexpired term. On the 5th of November, 1901, he was elected to 
that office for a term of two years, and is now acceptably discharging the 
duties of that important position. On the i6th of January, 3884, at Findlay, 
Mr. Bish was united in marriage to Alice Anderson, the daughter of William 
and Harriet (Alban) Anderson. They have had the following named chil- 
dren: Helen M., bom May 5, 1885, and died July 28, 1886; Howard A., 
born November 9, 1886; Marian, born October 18, 1892, and died July 11, 
1894; and Alma, born August 6, 1897. Fraternally Mr. Bish is a worthy 
member of Hancock Lodge, No. y^,, of the Independent Order 01 Odd Fel- 
lows. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, and in politics is a stanch 
supporter of the principles laid down in the Republican platform. 

MARION BELL. 

Perhaps the best judge of horses in Findlay to-day is Mr. Marion Bell, 
who has made a study of horses all his life. His earliest life was connected 
with horses, having been born and brought up on a farm, and in every call- 
mg in which he has engaged ever since, it has been one in which he has em- 
ployed horses. 

Mr. Bell is of pioneer Ohio stock, his grandfather, Jack Bell, having 
l)een a native of Fairfield county, Ohio. His father, Alfred Bell, was also 
born in Fairfield county, but came to Hancock county in early manhood. He 
was a farmer all his life, arid died in Wyandot county in 1891. Fie was mar- 
ried in 1847 to Emmeline Click, daughter of David Click, of Hancock 



502 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

county, and they had nine children, of whom six now survive, as follows : 
Russell B. ; Joseph T. ; Emma, widow of Soloman Zimmerman; Marion; 
David; and Charles. The mother of this family died in 1883. 

The life of Marion Bell has mostl}^ been passed near his native place, 
He was born November 23, 1856, and lived on his father's fanii until he 
was fifteen years of age, attending the country schools. He decided to start 
out for himself, and for eight years worked on the farm of ]\1. J. George; 
this was followed by a year's work for George June, at Fremont. Ohio, who 
was a horse trader. Mr. Bell then contracted to carry the mail from Find- 
jay to Mt. Blanchard, and from Mt. Blanchard to Forest for a year. At the 
end of that time he bought a half interest in a steam thresher, which he ran 
for three years. His acquaintance throughout the country being consid- 
able, he began the business of buying and tradmg horses, in which occupation 
he has ever since been engaged. 

Mr. Bell w^as married in 1883, at Mt. Blanchard, to Carrie H., daugh- 
ler of M. J. George, and they had one child, Eva L. The wife died in 1889. 
and Mr. Bell was again married, on May 21, 1891, to Sarah E., daughter 
of Grundy Ake, and they have one son, Frank Rice Bell. Mr. Bell belongs 
to no church and to no secret order. In politics he is a Republican in good 
standing. 

WILUAM .\. DEMLAXD. 

One of the popular young business men of the city of Findlay is 
Mr. Demland, who is incumbent of the office of secretary of the Findlay 
Water Works Company and also of the Hancock County Agricultural So- 
ciety, in each of which capacities he is rendering most effiective service. He 
has applied his energies and abilities to the best possible advantages and has 
ever retained the confidenc and good ^vill of those with whom he has been 
thrown in contact. 

Mr. Demland was born on a farm in Henry county Ohio, on the 3d of 
May, 1866, and there he grew up under the invigorating influences of the 
agricultural life, attending the district schools and assisting in the work of 
the farm. At the age noted, in 1882, he made a trip to Colorado and the 
Dakotas, returning within the same year and locating in Fostoria, Seneca 
county, where he remained about one year and then removed to Defiance, 
where he was employed in a clerical capacity in a dry goods establishment 
for two years. In 1885 ]\Ir. Demland came to Findlay and became a clerk 
in the dry goods establishment of A. A. Dillinger, in whose employ he con- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 503 

tinned until 1899. when he secured his present important preferment as sec- 
retary of the Finchay Water Works Company. Two years previously Mr. 
Demland had been chosen secretary of the Hancock County Agricultural 
Society, and he has been indefatigable in promoting the interests of this or- 
ganization, through which is given a proper representation of the agricultural, 
stock growing and other industrial interests of the county, the annual exhi- 
bitions proving of much value and interest. In politics our subject gives 
his allegiance to the Democratic party, his religious faith is that of the Church 
of Christ, and fraternally he is a popular member of the Benevolent Protec- 
tive Order of Elks and the Knights of Pythias. 

In 1890 was solemnized the marriage of J\lr. Demland to Miss Myrtle 
Dillinger, daughter of Archibald A. Dillinger, the well known merchant of 
Findlay, and pre\iously mentioned in this sketch. 

THOMAS J. STACKHOUSE. 

Ranking among the old settlers of Hancock county, Ohio, w-here he has 
lived for more than fifty years, and a native of the state of Ohio, is that 
worthy citizen of Findlay, Thomas J. Stackhouse. His father, Joshua Stack- 
house, one of the pioneer settlers of Ohio, was born in Pennsylvania in 1802, 
but moved to Ohio, and died there in 1847. Thomas J. Stackhouse was 
born in Hanover, Ohio, February 13, 1835, where he lived until five years of 
age, when his parents moved to Seneca county, and located on a farm. Here 
he lived the happy, healthy and active life of a farmer's boy, helping with the 
farm w^ork in the summer, and in the winter attending the public school and 
doing chores. His father died when he was twelve years old. In 1851, when 
about seventeen years of age, he came to Findlay, and being ambitious and 
anxious to start in business for himself, he learned the baker's trade and 
carried on a bakery for several years. Then, his trade increasing and busi- 
ness prospering, he started a restaurant, and after six years in that line, hav- 
ing gained experience and i)atronage, he opened a hotel in Findlay, in which 
business he continued up to the year 1895. ^"^^ ^1''^" went into the feed and 
provision Inisiness, which he continued for some time and in 1902 again en- 
gaged in the hotel business. 

Mr. Stackhouse has been twice married: First, in 1864, in Findlay, to 
Fannie Hime, who died in 1894, after thirty years' of married life, leaving 
five children, as follows: Cora E., wife of J. W. Carney; Thomas B. ; James 
J. ; Rolla R. ; and Rosa, wife of John Negrotto. November 7, 1897, ^^i'- 



504 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Stackhoiise was again married, to Elfie P. Lape, and they have tv/o children, 
Ruth and Esther. 

Air. Stackhoiise is one of that noble army — the veterans of the Civil 
war — which daily diminishes, until in a few years there will be none left to 
answer the roll call. He enlisted in the Union army in May, 1864, at Find- 
lay, Ohio, as a private in Company I, One Hundred and Sixty-first Regi- 
ment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served until September 13, 1864, being 
mustered out at Columbus, Ohio. He was under lire in fights at Martins- 
burg, West Virginia, and Maryland Heights. Mr. Stackhouse also had 
three brothers in the army, one of whom died lighting for his country. 
David, now deceased, was a member of the Fifty-tifth Regiment, Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry; Madison belonged to the Twenty-first Regiment, 
Ohio Volunteer Infantry and Eighty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry; and 
Harison, who was in the Twenty-first Regiment, Ohio A^olunteer Infantry, 
was killed at Chickamauga. 

Mr. Stackhouse is a member of the Baptist church, a Knight of Pythias, 
and in politics a Republican. He is an honored and respected citizen in the 
community and has many friends. 

LOUIS W. EOFF. 

The progress of a city is largely due to its financial institutions, inas- 
much as it is upon these that the industries and business establishments de- 
pend for capital to meet their obligations, and it is safe to say that a good 
town always has good banks. Those therefore who have charge of the banks,, 
are necessarily in position to exercise much infiuence for good or ill, and it 
IS of vital importance that they should be men of the highest character and 
ability. Aside from their immediate duties, their advice and assistance in 
conducting the government and giving the impetus to new enterprises are 
invaluable, and for this reason the banking stafi^s are found filling all kinds of 
positions of trust and responsibility. Findlay has always been fortunate in 
its financiers and few cities of its size are better known for the probity as 
well as general ability of tliose wlio have had the direction of its large affairs, 
in this corps of civic servants, who have been conspicuous at every stage of 
its growth, no man of his age lias achiexed more for his community or de- 
served more for himself than the gentleman whose life work forms the basis 
for this brief biography. Fie has been connected with banks from early boy- 
hood, and in reward for those qualities which are so highly appreciated in 
these institutions, he has risen with rapidity through various grades to his. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 505 

present position of responsibility as cashier of one of the most important 
financial concerns of the city. 

The Eoff family is of Holland origin, and the first emigrants of the name 
came to America as far back as 1638. In after years, descendants of these 
first arrivals found lodgment in various colonies of the east, including New 
Jersey, where Cornelius Eoff was born during the latter half of the eigh- 
teenth century. When the troubles preceding the American Revolution be- 
came acute they touched a sympathetic chord in this descendant of a people 
who had always been noted for their friendliness to freedom and hatred of 
"oppression in all its forms. A'oung Eoff was fired with enthusiasm to do 
something for the cause of the struggling colonies, and this desire was grati- 
fied by his becoming a drum-major in General Washington's body-guard,, 
with which company he served through the subsequent stirring scenes. Cor- 
nelius was the great-grandfather of Louis W. Eoff, the Findlay banker, and 
it is needless to add that the latter is justly proud of having such an ancestor. 

Eli Eoff, grandson of the Revolutionary patriot, was born in New York, 
in 1824, and married Mary White, whose birth occurred in the same state 
in 1833. Some years afterward they removed to Ohio, locating at Elmore, 
where Mr. Eoff rose to a position of influence and for thirty years held the 
position of village postmaster. His wife died there in 1886, and some years 
later he removed to Toledo, Ohio, of which city he has since been a resident. 

Louis W. Eoff, son of this worthy couple, was born at Elmore, Ohio, 
January i, 1865, and remained at the home of his parents until fifteen years 
of age. After the usual preliminary attendance in the common schools of 
his native place, he entered Oberlin College and spent one year in that excel- 
lent institution, during which period he improved his opportunities to the 
utmost. Returning home he spent a short time teaching school, but this was 
soon abandoned for more congenial occupation. His ambition, which early 
.took shape, was to pursue a business career and soon an opportunity offered 
which promised an outlet along the lines of his desire. Being offered a posi- 
tion as bookkeeper in the bank at Elmore, lie gladly accepted and for a year 
and a half discharged the duties of this place so well that the ground work 
was laid and an opening made for better things. December 18, 1883, ]\Ir. 
Eoff accepted a position as teller in the First National Bank of Findlay, which 
he held four years, and this proved the beginning of his long and intimate 
connection with the financial affairs of the city, which has continued until 
the present time. Li 1887 he assisted in organizing the American National 
Bank of Findlay, and in June of the same year was appointed assistant cashier 
of that institution. In 1889, after a service of two years, he was made cash- 



5o6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

ier of this popular bank, and from that time up to the present has discharged 
the duties of this responsible position with marked ability and constantly 
growing appreciation. Under his able management the American National 
Bank has had a steady growth and now ranks as one of the leading financial 
institutions of northwestern Ohio. In line with his business interests Mr. 
Eoff is a member of the executive council of the Ohio Bankers' Association, 
and he is also president of the Findlay board of trade. But it is not simply 
as a banker that Mr. Eoff's services have proven valuable to the citizens of 
Findlay. Desiring to avail themselves of his financial skill and sound busi- 
ness judgment, they elected him a member of the city council, and retained 
him in that office from 1894 until 1900. During these six years of public 
service, ]\Ir. Eoff fully proved his capability for administrative duties and 
ability to deal in a broad way with large affairs. He devoted much atten- 
tion to the important business coming before the council, especially all mat- 
ters relating to the city's fiscal system, and largely through his instrumen- 
tality about two-thirds of the standing debt, amounting to six hundred thou- 
sand dollars, was paid off". During his last term in council, Mr. Eoff served 
as president of the body, and when he left office it was with the good will and 
sincere esteem of every citizen of Findlay. 

In 1889, Mr. Eoff" was united in marriage with Miss Lillie Bee, daugh- 
ter of Judge F. and Pamy Burket, and has an only child named Will Burket 
Eoff". His political affiliations have always been with the Republican party, 
to whose principles he lends ardent support and intelligent advocacy. ]\Ir. 
Eoff's fraternal connections are with Findlay Lodge, No. 75, Benevolent and 
Protective Order of Elks, in addition to which he holds membership in the 
Twentieth Century Club, a literary organization composed of some of the 
leading business and professional men of Findlay. 

MORGAN C. SHAFER. 

Among the younger members of the bar of Hancock county is numbered 
the subject of this re^aew, who has been successfully engaged in the prac- 
tice of his profession in his native city of Findlay since 1893. He is a rep- 
sentative of one of the pioneer families of the state, and in his chosen pro- 
fession is enjoying a prestige which was held by his honored father in the 
same field of endeavor, so that there is particular congruity in entering this 
brief record of his genealogical and personal history. 

Mr. Shafer was born in Findlay, on the 4th of December, 1866, and is 
descended from a good old German family. His paternal great-grand- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 



507 



father, Michael Shafer, in compaii}-- with a brother, came from the father- 
land to the United States, landing at New York city late in the eighteenth 
century, and there the brothers separated, Michael going to Washington 
county, Pennsylvania, from which time on the brothers never knew of each 
other's existence. Later in the eighteenth century Michael Shafer was mar- 
ried in Washington county, Pennsylvania, to a girl whose first name was 
Elizabeth, and among their children was Michael Shafer, the grandfather 
of our subject, w4io was born in the Keystone state, and was thirteen years 
of age when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Knox county, 
Ohio. In Mount Vernon, this state, he learned the blacksmith's trade. When 
twenty-two years of age he married Miss Nancy Ireland, and in 1835 they 
moved to Hancock county, Ohio, where they became owners of real estate 
near Mt. Blanchard. Until he was twenty-one years of age Michael Shafer 
could only speak the German tongue, but his wife taught him the English 
language, and being a great reader he soon became a well informed man. 
This worthy couple were the parents of twelve children, eight sons and four 
daughters. Mr. Shafer was called from the scenes of this earth in August, 
1852, when he was fifty-seven years of age. 

Morgan D. Shafer, the father of our subject, was born in Alt. Blan- 
chard, Hancock county, Ohio, in 1838, and his education was received prin- 
cipally in the city of Delaware, this state, where he prosecuted his studies for 
a time in Ohio Wesleyan University, having defrayed his expenses by teach- 
ing school for several years. He was admitted to the bar in i860, but soon 
afterward laid aside the work of his profession to go forth as a soldier dur- 
ing the Civil w^ar,' enlisting at the first call for troops, in 1 861, as a member 
of the Twenty-first Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he was 
first lieutenant of Company E. After a service of three months he returned 
home and did not again enlist, having been a strong Democrat and having 
had certain conscientious prejudices against the w^ar policy of the govern- 
ment He opened a law office in Findlay, and here continued in the active 
practice of his profession until his death, which occurred in 1899. He was a 
man of fine intellectuality and attained high reputation in his chosen pro- 
fession, being concerned in much of the important litigation brought before 
the courts of this section of the state and commanding the unequivocal 
esteem of his professional confrerers and the community in general. 

Morgan C. Shafer, the immediate subject of this review, w^as reared in 
the place of his nativity, securing his preliminary education in the public 
schools and being graduated in the high school as a member of the class of 
1885. He thereafter put his scholastic acquirements to practical test by 



5o8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL LIISTORY 

teaching- school in his native county, and finally continued his studies for a 
year in Findlay College, after which, in 1887, he matriculated in the law de- 
partment of the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, where he was gradu- 
ated as a member of the class of 1890. He then returned to his home in 
Findlay, where he continued his technical reading in the law office of his 
father, whom he assisted in his professional work until 1893, when he secured 
admission to the bar of Ohio and has since been engaged in active practice 
here, being recognized as a thoroughly well informed and discriminating 
advocate and safely conservative counsel and gaining precedence through 
his careful and devoted attention to the work of his profession. He is a 
Democrat in his political proclivities and gives a stanch support to the cause. 
Fraternally he is identified with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. 
Mr. Shafer was married in 1893, at Findlay, to Miss Florence Ham- 
lin, daughter of John M. Hamlin, and they take a prominent place in the 
social activities of the city, their home being one in which the refined ameni- 
ties are ever in evidence. 

DANIEL L. SMITH. 

There could be no more gratifying thing to the citizens of Hancock 
county than to see many of its fanners spend their later days in ease, freed 
from the cares and responsibilities of farm life, yet able to enjoy its pleasant 
side. Mr. Daniel L. Smith is one of the many who have been fortunate in 
this respect, and as such deserves honorable mention in this volume. He 
was born on a farm in Amanda township, in this county, in 1845, and has 
lived on Hancock county farms all his life, with the exception of eleven 
years, from 1874 to 1885, when he lived on a farm in Henry county, this 
state. Though he has resided in Findlay since 1890, he still retains an 
active interest in agricultural pursuits, keeping in touch with his former life. 

Mr. Smith's grandfather, Stephen Smith, the first of his family to 
move to Ohio, was born in New York, came to Hancock county at an early 
day and died in Wood county. His son, David K. Smith, father of Daniel 
L., was born in Hancock county in 1825, and he has also been a farmer all 
his life. He was one of the many loyal sons of Ohio who fought in the 
war of the Rebellion, having enlisted in the fall of 1864 as a private in Com- 
pany G, Forty-fourth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he 
served until the close of the war. He was in many important figlits. David 
K. Smith married Elizabeth Zinn in 1844, and of their seven children six are 
still living: Daniel L. ; Charity, wife of Jacob Thompson; America, wife of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 509 

Asa Morris; William; Catherine, wife of Peter Domer; and Charlotte, wife 
of Joseph Schwab. The first Mrs. Smith died in 1887, and our subject's 
father is still living in Hancock county, married to his third wife. He is 
numbered among the members of the United Brethren church. 

Daniel Smith was first married in 1864 to Eliza Ewing, who died in 
1873, leaving two children: Kelley L., wife of Lincoln Sheppard; and 
Jesse E. ]\Ir. Smith was again married in 1875 to Amanda Kwis, and they 
have six children, all living, who are: Nellie E., wife of Charles Opp; 
Bertha, wife of Lemuel Huston; Maud, wife of Fred Johnson; John A. 
Logan ; Harry D. ; and Vita Z. Mr. Smith has always been a Republican, 
and that he is counted one of the worthy members of that party is shown by 
the fact that he served as postmaster under President Llayes at McClure, in 
Henry county; he also served as trustee of Damascus township, in the same 
county. Like his father, he is associated with the United Brethren church. 

GEORGE GOEPPELE. 

George Goeppele is a hale and hearty old citizen of Hancock comity, 
Ohio, who has been connected with its business interests for fifty years, and 
in this time has fought the faithful fight which has brought honor and suc- 
cess to his old age. He is proud to claim the empire of Germany for his 
birth-place, where he came into the light of the world in the old state of 
Wurtemberg on the 4th day of December, 1825; his father and mother were 
George and Christina Goeppele, and they passed all their lives in their native 
land. The younger George had the fortune to spend the years before his 
maturity in Germany and he was there given the excellent training for which 
the schools of that country are famous. When deciding upon a pursuit in 
life he chose the trade of baker. The baker boys of Germany have been 
famous in song and history for centuries, and our subject became one of 
the jolly apprentices of that calling; so well did he apply himself that he be- 
came thoroughly conversant with all its details and he left his countn- an 
adept in the important art of cookery. 

With hopes and fears, but with a manly and independent spirit which 
augured well for this young Teuton, Mr. Goeppele crossed the ocean and 
arrived in America in the month of September, 1851. For a short time he 
was located in Philadelphia, but after moving about for a year or two he 
finally came to Hancock county in 1853. Having decided upon Findlay as 
a suitable place to engage in his trade, he applied himself to it diligently and 
was soon able to satisfy the taste of the most fastidious epicure and con- 



5IO CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

vince him that the art of fancy baking had found a new master. He worked 
for various firms in the town and for fifty years the products of his ovens 
were articles of necessity in every household, no one ever being able to find 
fault Avith his methods or with the man. He is one of those genial, whole- 
souled, courteous old gentlemen whom people would patronize for his own 
personality, if he were not the best baker the town could boast of. 

But Mr. Goeppele has not merely been a master of his trade, but he has 
shown himself possessed of excellent business sagacity as well, and has de- 
voted his earnings to good investments in real estate. He' purchased his first 
property in Findlay in 1858 and he erected a house on his lot; he also built 
and owned other houses in the city, which bring him good returns for his 
money. In i86g he bought a farm of eighteen acres; in 1896 he bought a 
farm of one hundred and seventy-five acres, consisting of two separate farms, 
located in Union township, and he also owns a place of one hundred and 
twenty-six acres in Cass township. This latter farm proved to be pro- 
ductive in oil, and he developed the wells and received such incomes from 
them that he was able to buy other properties. With the wise foresight of 
a man of the world he has divided all his property among his children, so that 
litigation and the breaking of wills can play no part in his posthumous 
affairs. 

Mr. Goeppele was married a few years after coming to this country, 
in 1854, the; lady of his choice being Miss Minnie Gotdman, who became the 
mother of four children, the three following still living: Charles, born in 
1857; Henry, born in 1859; and Ida, born in 1861. The mother of these chil- 
dren died in October, 1861, and in the following year Mr. Goeppele mar- 
ried Elizabeth Broggee; there were born: Emma, in 1865; Katherine, in 
1868; Joseph, in 1875; and Omar, in 1880. Mrs. Elizabeth Goeppele died 
October 29, 1885. These children are now in various walks in life and 
are among the representative citizens of the county. While Mr. Goeppele 
never forgets the land of his birth and loves it with the ardor of all true sons 
of the fatherland, he has become thoroughly imbued with the American 
spirit, and his adopted country can surely point to no one born within her 
borders who is a more worthy and public spirited citizen than is George 
Goeppele. 

LOUIS A. WOLFF. 

Louis A. Wolff, though not a native born American, is one of the 
representative business men of Findlay, and a loyal citizen of the state of 
Ohio, having emigrated to this country and settled within her borders be- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 511 

fore attaining- his majorit}^ He is a native of Germany, and was born in 
Bavaria in the year 1852. He left the fatherland in 1870, for America, com- 
ing direct to London, Ohio, and has ever since made his home within the state 
of Ohio. From 1870 to 1882 he was clerking- in London, Ohio, and then, 
having been frugal and industrious, he had saved sufficient money to -start in 
business for himself, and opened a clothing house there, which he success- 
fully conducted until the year 1891. In 1891 he closed out his business in 
London, and came to Findlay, and a year later opened a grocery store 
which he still continues to manage, and in which business he has l)een highly 
succesful. 

Mr. Wolff was married at Belief ontaine, Ohio, in 1881, to Leonora 
Morgenroth, and they have one daughter, Sarah Wolff. 

Mr. Wolff is a stanch Republican in politics, and belongs to the Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows. 

BAKER DAILEY. 

A stranger dri\qng through the beautiful county of Hancock cannot help 
being impressed with the healthfulness of the section, for he will meet with 
more gray heads to the square mile than in any other section of the state. 
They are hale and hearty people, some of whom have passed from seven to 
nine decades in agricultural pursuits in the county. We here present for the 
consideration of our readers one of this class of citizens, who is a well known 
farmer of Cass township, and a man of fine repute in the neighborhood. He 
is a direct descendant of D. J. and Mary Elizabeth (Hale) Dailey. The 
former of whom was born in Steubenville, Ohio, in 181 1, and came with his 
parents and other members of the family to Hancock county, and located near 
the center of Washington township in 1825. The latter was a native of Vir- 
ginia was born in 181 5, near Wheeling; she came to this county with her 
brother Baker, and located in the center of Washington township, where Baker 
Hale entered one hundred and sixty acres of uncultivated land from the gov- 
ernment about 1830. Later in life D. J. Dailey and Mary E. Hale were united 
in marriage, and made a purchase of their own of eighty acres, which was in 
time brought under subjection. Mr. Dailey was a hard working man, as in- 
deed all pioneers were in that age, and he labored hard to clear his farm, and 
to rear his family of ten children, four of whom survive, Baker, Samuel, 
Alonzo and Margaret. The father and mother were members of the Metho- 
dist Episcopal church, and the former affiliated with the Whigs, politically, 
and in his time was a man of influence in his communitv, some of the offices 



512 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

of which he administered. He died February 23, i8go, and his wife June 8, 
1883. 

Baker Dailey was born in Washington township, November 24, 1839. 
Here he was reared amidst pioneer scenes, and under the sturdy and severe 
disciphne of the farm developed that strong manhood which has been so 
characteristic of him during his Hfe. He received excellent educational ad- 
vantages, securing his scholastic discipline in the common schools, and com- 
pleting his literary education in the schools of Fostoria and Findlay, where he 
fitted himself for the profession of teacher, entering the field in his nineteenth 
year. For a period of fifteen years thereafter he was a successful and pop- 
ular teacher of the district schools in Hancock county. He kept his connec- 
tion, however, with the agricultural interests by working on a farm in the 
summer, and he finally abandoned the schoolroom and gave his entire atten- 
tion to the farm. His first purchase of real estate was made in 1868, when he 
made a modest beginning with eight acres. He now owns a farm which is 
valuable not only as farming land, but because of its situation in the oil belt 
of Hancock county. This farm was purchased in 1878. 

Mr. Dailey, while not a politician in any sense of the world, has always 
manifested a disposition to do his share of the work necessary to carry on a 
rural community, and' has been trusted with some of the offices of the town- 
ship. He was married on the 6th of November, 1862, to Mahala Fisher, the 
daughter of Samuel and Margaret Fisher, members of the Presbyterian 
church. Her birth occurred in Carroll county, Ohio, January 9, 1840, and she 
has borne her husband the following children: E. T., born October 10, 1863; 
E. A., August 16, 1865; Wilbert B., July 16, 1867; S. C, May 12, 1869; 
J. H., June 24, 1871 ; Maggie F., March 13, 1875. Mr. and Mrs. Baker 
Dailey are both members of the Methodist church and are held in liigh esteem 
in their immediate community, and their good offices and acts of friendship 
are returned in kind by the host of friends who love to do them honor. 

JACOB E. POWELL, M. D. 

Dr. J. E. Powell was born in Eagle township, Hancock county, Ohio, 
April 15, 1 86 1. Being a farmer's son and one of the eldest of a family of 
thirteen children and with no other means of assistance at command than the 
earnings of his own labor, he enjoys the distinction of rising from the humble 
position of a farm laborer to be a member of the prominent profession of 
physicians and surgeons, enjoying the confidence and patronage of the. com- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 513 

munity to the fullest extent. His early and primary education was received 
in the common district school, and this was sufficient to prepare him to en- 
gage in teaching, thirteen successive terms having been taught in surrounding 
districts, while his leisure hours and vacations were spent in preparing for the 
contemplated course in medicine. Dr. Powell is a charter member of Find- 
lay College, and continued in the first class that was ever instructed in that in- 
stitution until his final preparation for medical instruction, wdien he went to 
Baltimore, Maryland, and entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons, 
graduating therein in March, 1890. In June of the same year he located in 
Findlay, where he has continued the practice of his profession until the pre- 
sent time. In political and social affairs, on account of the duties incident 
to a busy man in his profession, Dr. Powell has been compelled to remain in- 
different, yet he was elected coroner of Hancock county in 1892, and held 
that office for Uxo years. He was a mamber of the Ohio State Medical So- 
ciety, the Northwestern Ohio Medical Association and the Hancock Medical 
Society, but in the year 1900 he severed his connection with these honorable 
bodies for the purpose of commercial privileges which were barred by medical 
ethics. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is 
active in the work of this body. Dr. Powell was married November 6, 1887, 
to Eva J., daughter of Jacob Oman, of Bluffton, Indiana, and their home has 
been blessed with one daughter, Hazel Marie Powell, born Januan.- 30, 1892, 
and who has added greatly to their cheerful and happy home. 

The ancestors and name of the Powell family originated in Scotland, 
but the present generation is descended from the mingling of Scotch and Ger- 
man people, who formed the early settlers of Pennsylvania, and it was there 
that Daniel L. Powell, the father of Dr. Powell, was bom in 1829. With his 
parents and three brothers he came to Hancock county in 1836 and entered 
government land in Eagle township, where he still resides, and he is doubtless 
the only citizen in the township or perhaps in the county who resides on the 
same farm which he received from the government, and upon which he has 
lived for more than half a century and watched the formation of a beautiful 
country from a wilderness. The perseverance and constant diligence in one 
who rears himself from the hardships of pioneer life to professional standing 
equal to that of Dr. Powell is worthy of the reward of a happy home with a 
bright and cheerful wife and daughter, as he enjoys, and this home, with its 
companions, is his greatest pride and delight. But next in life is a principle 
which he maintains, that he must add to the profession to which he belongs 
something which is new and of value to the coming generation or his life will 
have been wasted or of no value to the world. 



514 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

PHILIP B. OLIVER. 

Pliilip B. Oliver, who now fills the office of city bill-poster in Findlay, 
Ohio, is a well known citizen and an honored survivor of the Civil war. He 
was born in South Whitley, Indiana, in 1847, and is a son of James B. Oliver. 

James B. Oliver was born in Dayton, Ohio, where his father, Philip 
Oliver, was an old citizen, and was reared in a frugal home. During his 
youth he was ambitious to obtain an education, and at one time chopped cord 
wood in order to obtain money with which to enter Wittenberg College, 
although he received but twenty-five cents a cord. Until he entered the army 
in 1862, for service in the Civil war, he engaged in farming. Mr. Oliver 
became a member of Company F, One Hundred and Twenty-third Regi- 
ment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was detailed as wagon boss, serving thus 
for two years and four months. At the same time his son Charles E. enlisted 
in the same company, as a private. At Llatcher's Run he lost his right leg. 
He recovered from the injury, however, and at the time of his death, in j\Iay, 
1901, was auditor of Potter county, South Dakota. During the army service 
of James B. Oliver, he was taken sick, in 1863, and was sent to the hospital 
at Frederick, Maryland. His wife left her home duties, at Upper Sandusky, 
Ohio, and hastened to him, where, on account of the scarcity of nurses, she 
was impressed and kept for six months. Although the government failed to 
recompense her, there is no doubt that many a poor sick soldier blessed her 
for her womanly ministrations. 

While our subject was still quite small, his parents moved to Liberty, 
Indiana, and eight years later to Dayton, Ohio, and the year following to 
Upper Sandusky. There he was given school advantages and there, on 
May 2, 1864, he enlisted in the army, in Company A, One Hundred and 
Forty-fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was mustered in as 
a musician. His entrance into the regiment, however, was on account of 
a feeling of patriotism, and two weeks later he threw his fife into the Monoc- 
acy river. The adjutant of his regiment soon demanded an explanation, 
and he told him that he had enlisted to fight, and wanted a gun. From that 
time until his capture by the enemy he did his share of fighting. On 
August 13, 1864, he was made a prisoner, at Barry ville, Virginia, by General 
Mosby, and was marched to Culpeper Court House and thence sent by train 
to Lynchburg and two weeks later to Belle Isle. Six weeks later he was 
sent to Salisbury, North Carolina, and on April 10, 1865, was sent to a 
point near Wilmington and given his liberty. Finally our subject made his 
way to Annapolis, Maryland, and thence to Columbus, Ohio, where he was 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 515 

discharged on April 20, 1865. During his captivity his weight had changed 
from about one hundred and thirty-two pounds to sixty-three pounds, which 
is commentary enough upon the treatment he received. 

Our subject returned to Upper Sandusky, Ohio, and began the car- 
penter trade two years later, at Dayton, and four years later went back to 
Upper Sandusky. There he followed fanning until 1883 and then moved 
to Findlay where he engaged for a time in the sale of bicycles. Two years 
after he became the manager of the Davis opera house, in conjunction with 
Dr. J. H. Boyer, but two years after embarked in his present line. He is 
a man of energy and good business ability, is well known and popular and has 
made a success of his present enterprise. 

In 1876 our subject was married at Tiffin, Ohio, to Miss Dora A. Stim- 
mel, and the one daughter born to this union bears the name of Nellie. In 
politics Mr. Oliver has been a life-long supporter of the Republican party. 
He is a valued comrade of Stoker Post, No. 54, Grand Army of the Re- 
public, and also belongs to the local lodge of Elks. 

GEORGE W. WHITMAN. 

A well known and much respected business citizen of Findlay, Ohio, is 
George W. Whitman, whose great-grandfather was of English birth, but 
emigrated to America in colenial days and settled in Vermont. There his 
grandfather, Daniel Whitman, was born and took part as a soldier in the 
war of 1 812. 

The birth of George W. Whitman occurred on a farm, near Titusville, 
Pennsylvania, in 1852, and he is a son of Selden and Lavina (Sterling) 
Whitman, the former of whom w^as born in 1821, in Vermont, and was taken 
by his parents to Pennsylvania when he was a boy. He has followed farming 
all his life, and now resides in Forest county, Pennsylvania, a respected 
member of his community. His venerable wife also survives. They were the 
parents of fourteen children, six sons and three daughters still surviving. 

When George Whitman had completed his education in the country 
schools in his vicinity and had attained the age of seventeen years, he left 
home and went to seek work in the Pennsylvania oil fields, commencing 
as a tool dresser, then working as a driller. He remained there until 1881, 
having commenced producing in 1878. In 1881 Mr. Whitman went to 
the oil fields of Allegany county, New York. He had gained a wide prac- 
tical experience and was immediately engaged as a producer, and later was 
made superintendent of the I. E. Ackerly Oil Company. In 1888 he came 



5i6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

to Fiiidlay, and has been a producer ever since. In 1894 he enlarged his 
niterests by becoming a wholesale coal dealer, and in 1901 he added a re- 
tail branch. Mr. Whitman is a man of business acumen and activity. He 
possesses the safe judgment which insures success. 

In 1878, in Bradford, Pennsylvania, Mr. Whitman was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Lena Martin, who was born in Corning, New York, and 
the following interesting family has been born to this union : Fred D., 
Eva L., Lily M., Harry F., Frances L., andGoldie I. In the political arena 
our subject is a stanch supporter of Republican principles. He is active in 
several of the leading fraternal organizations, belonging to the Knights 
Templar, the Masons, the Odd Fellows and the Woodmen of the World. 
For some years he has been one of the leading members of the Methodist 
church, and in every way is an estimable citizen. The family is highly re- 
garded and prominent in the city's social life. 

AUGUSTUS M. SMITH. 

Among the marble and granite workers and dealers in Findlay, Ohio, 
Augustus M. Smith takes a leading position, on account of the taste he dis- 
plays in designing and the perfection of the work he executes. 

The birth of Mr. Smith took place in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio, in 
1S54. and he is the son of John and Sarah J. (Hopkins) Smith, the former 
of A\hom was born in 1832, in Pennsylvania, and died in St. Louis, Missouri, 
in 1855. By trade he was a tailor. He left two children, our subject, and 
his sister Fannie, who married Frank R. Price, and died in 1895, leaving 
three children, namely : Marian, Charles and Arthur, in their home in Cleve- 
land. Mrs. Smith married Alfred H. Slack and they have one son, Fred H., 
and reside in Findlay. 

Augustus M. Smith was but a babe when his parents moved to Dayton, 
Ohio, where he remained until he was about seven years old. Then with his 
Vvadowed mother he went to Indianapolis, Indiana, and lived there until 1869, 
when they removed to Cleveland, Ohio. In the former city he had com- 
menced to learn the stone cutter's trade and completed his apprenticeship in 
Cleveland, becoming so competent a workman that when he came to Findlay 
in 1875, ^^^ was placed in charge of the large marble shop of Louthan & Son, 
remaining with that firm from July i, 1875, until January i, 1881. At this 
date he began business on his own account and has prospered exceeding. 

In 1873, in Monroe, Michigan, our subject was married to Miss Letty 
]\L Davis, and two children were born to this union, the one survivor being 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 517 

Frank E. Mr. Smith was married a second time in 1890, in Wapakoneta, 
Ohio, to Miss JuHa A. ^Myer, and the two children born to this union are 
Harry A. and Chester P. In fraternal life, Mr. Smith belongs to the Odd 
Fellows, the Elks and the Knights of Pythias. He is a very highly esteemed 
citizen of Findlay. 

ALBERT C. MATTHIAS, M. D. 

One of the best known citizens of Hancock county is Dr. Albert C. 
Matthias, of McComb, who has attained distinction in professional circles, 
and is a prominent representative of several fraternal organizations. Force- 
ful individuality and keen insight, combined with practical common sense, 
are the strong traits in his character which have served to win for him a 
high place in various circles. 

He was born in Stark county, Ohio, in 1844, on a farm that was entered 
from the government by his grandfather, Daniel Matthias, in 1806. The 
latter, born in Pennsylvania about 1762, w^as a son of Daniel Matthias, Sr., 
a native of Alsace-Lorraine. He became the founder of the family in Ohio 
and was closely identified with the pioneer development of this part of the 
state, his death occurring about 1853. 

Jacob Matthias, the father of our subject, was born in Cumberland coun- 
ty, l^ennsylvania, in 1803, and was brought by his parents to Ohio in 1806, 
becoming a resident of Hancock county in 1849. After residing for a long 
period in this county he removed to Cambria, A'lichigan, in 1866, and there 
his death occurred in 1881. He had followed agricultural pursuits through- 
out his entire life. He had seven children, as follows : Jesse A., wdio died 
in 1888, at the age of sixty-four years, was a private of Company D, Ninety- 
fourth Illinois Infantry, serving from 1861 until 1864, most of the time w-ith 
the heavy artillery forces; Henry H. served for one hundred days as a pri- 
vate of Company G, One Hundred and Fiftieth Ohio Infantry; Julia is the 
wife of B. F. Showlty, of Pioneer, Ohio; Susan is the wife of J. H. Hicker- 
son, of McComb; Lydia A. is the widow of George D. Wickman, of Han- 
cock county, Ohio; the Doctor is the next younger; Jacob Frank resides in 
Fairbury, Nebraska, The mother of these children, who bore the maiden 
name of Mary Stambaugh, died in 1878, at the age of sixty-five years. 

When about five years of age the Doctor was brought by his parents to 
Hancock county and was reared to the age of fifteen in Blanchard township, 
attending the country schools and thereby laying the foundation for his more 
advanced education. At the asfe of fifteen he came to McComb and entered 



5i8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

the general store of B. F. .Sholty, as salesman, clerking for him for two years, 
but the Civil war came on and he put aside all business and personal considera- 
tions in order to aid his country, enlisting in Company K, Sixty-fifth Ohio 
Infantry, as a private. He served until February, 1865, when he was hon- 
orably discharged on account of disability occasioned by wounds, holding, ar 
the time, the rank of corporal. He participated in the battles of Shiloh, 
Corinth, Perryville, Stone River, Tullahoma, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, 
Missionary Ridge, Rocky Face Ridge and Resaca. At the last named he 
was shot in the right elbow, which ended his servifce. He was commended 
for gallantry in that engagement by Colonel David E. Moore, commanding 
the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Ohio, and our subject would have been 
promoted had he been able to remain in the service. After being wounded 
he was sent to Chattanooga, where he lay in the hospital for ten weeks and 
was then sent to Nashville, Tennessee. Five or six weeks later he was trans- 
ferred to the hospital in Jeffersonville, Indiana, where he remained until 
October, 1864, and was then sent to Cleveland, Ohio. 

While there during the winter of 1864-5, Dr. ]\,Iatthias attended medical 
lectures at Cleveland Medical College, and in February, 1865, he received his 
discharge by Dr. George M. Sternberg, now surgeon general of the United 
States army. Dr. Charles C. Byrne, who performed the operation upon our 
subject at Chattanooga, is now the first assistant surgeon general of the 
United States army. 

Dr. Matthias was graduated in medicine at the Western Reserve Uni- 
versity in the year 1869 and at once located in Gilboa, this state, where he 
remained in successful practice until 1897 when he came to McComb, Han- 
cock county, where he has already gained recognition as a practitioner whose 
skill is above the average and whose ability is constantly augmented by read- 
ing and investigation. Membership in leading medical societies, wherein 
there is an interchange of thought and experience, has also led to the advance- 
ment of Dr. Matthias in his chosen calling. He belongs to the Northwestern 
Ohio Medical Association and the Ohio State Medical society, and for three 
years, while residing in Gilboa, he was the president of the Putnam County 
Medical Society. 

Doctor Matthias was married in 1861, in Leipsic, Ohio, to Eleanor 
Harris, and they have six children, four of whom are now living: Elva C, 
Everett H., Mary M. and Edward S. The daughter is the wife of Dr. M. A. 
Darbyshire, of McComb. Edward, who is now a practicing attorney in Van 
Wert county, Ohio, was captain of Company D. Second Regiment, Ohio In- 
fantry, in the Spanish-American war, serving for ten months. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 519 

In political circles Dr. Matthias is quite prominent. He served for 
twenty-four years as councilman in Gilboa and is now a member of the city 
council of McComb. For two years and seven months he was mayor of 
Gilboa and for six years was president of the board of education there. In 
1899 he was elected justice of the peace by both parties, as the Democrats 
would place no nominee in the field against him. For eight years he was a 
member of the United States pension examining board at Ottawa, Ohio, and 
for three years was its president. The Doctor belongs to John Howard Post, 
No. 154, Grand Army of the Republic, in which he has held all of the higher 
offices and is now serving his sixteenth term as commander of his post. From 
1884 until 1885 he was medical director of the department of Ohio. He 
belongs to the lodge, chapter and council in Masonry, is also a member of the 
Knights of Pythias fraternity and for three years was captain of the uniform 
rank at Leipsic. He has passed all the chairs in the Odd Fellows fraternity, 
in both the lodge and the encampment. Few men are more prominent or 
more widely known in the enterprising city of McComb than Dr. Matthias. 
He has been an important factor in professional and social circles and his 
popularity is well deserved, as in him are embraced the characteristics of 
unbending integrity, unabating energy and industry that never flags. He is 
public-spirited and thoroughly interested in whatever tends to promote the 
moral, intellectual and material welfare of his town and :\IcComb numbers 
him among her valued citizens. 

GEORGE W. HALL. 

George \\'. Hall, one of Findlay's leading inerchants. and a successful 
business man, was born on his father's farm in Amanda tounship, Hancock 
county, Ohio, in the year 1854, and was one of a large family of children. 
Mr. Hall lived on the home farm until he was fifteen years of age. attending 
the neighborhood schools. He then went to Lawrence, Kansas, and clerked 
in a shoe store for three years, learning the business. Returning to Findlay, 
Ohio, and not feeling that he was competent to entirely manage a business for 
himself yet, he entered a shoe store there and clerked for five years longer, 
thus fitting himself more fully, and at the same time saving m'oney with i 
view to owning his own business in future. At the end of the five years, 
having been frugal and industrious, and having laid by sufficient means for 
a start in life, he went into the shoe business with his brother, W. S. Hall, 
which firm continued for three years under the name of Hall Brothers. In 



520 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

1894 Mr. Hall bought out his brother's interest, and since that time has 
manag-ed and owned the business himself. 

jNIr. Hall was married in 1878, in Findlay, Ohio, to Lottie, daughter of 
j\[. B. Patterson, and they have one son, George E. Hall. He is a member 
of the First Methodist Episcopal church, belongs to the Knights of Pythias, 
and is a Republican in politics. 

Mr. Hall is of Irish descent, his father, Richard .Hall, being born in Ire- 
land and coming to America in his boyhood located in Hancock county, 
Ohio. He married Eliza Maley, who still survives, and they had ten chil- 
dren, of whom five are now living. 

Mr. Hall is prospering in his business, his patronage is increasing, and 
his genial, kindly manner, and native Irish wit, have gamed him many 
friends in the community. 

HARLAN F. BUF>LKET. 

The law is a profession whose requirements are constantly increasing. 
In the early history of this country the attorney and also the jurist was as 
primitive in his mental makeup as was the country in its material develop- 
ment, many stories being told of the crude methods of justice in those times 
and of the curious characters wdio enjoyed the sounding title of judge or 
squire. But the profession is itself more strict as to the admission of new 
]iiembers to the ranks and we now find some of our most learned men among 
the lawyers of the land. Harlan F". Burket is one of the leading attorneys 
of the county of Hancock, Ohio, and has not only found a foremost place 
among the members of his professit^n but has shown much interest in other 
affairs and is possessed of a fine, all-around character. 

Mr. Burket is the son of Hon. Jacob F. Burket and was born in Findlay, 
Hancock county, May 15, i860. After completing the common school course 
he went to Oberlin College, where he was graduated in the class of 1882. 
Mr. Burket has always been studiously inclined, and since leaving college 
has kept up his interest in geology and archeology; on account of his work 
in these lines he has been twice honored with degrees from his alma mater, 
in 1890 the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy having been conferred upon him, 
and in 1891 the degree of Master of Arts. After the completion of his col- 
lege course he began the study of law in the office of his father at Findlay 
and on October 6, 1887, he was admitted to the bar of the state. He at once 
entered into partnership with his father under the name of Burket & Bur- 
ket, and the firm was continued until the election of his father to the supreme 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 521 

bench of the state in 1893, since v.hich time he has practiced alone. ]\Ir. 
Burket has met \\ith marked success as a lawyer. He has been able to see 
into the merits of a case almost intuitively and has formed his arguments 
in such a logical succession and presented them with such earnest and force- 
ful eloquence that he has seldom failed tO' convince the court of the merits of 
his side. His great kno\\ ledge of legal precedent and his recognized power as 
an advocate have given IrJm a well deser\-ed j^lace among the legal fraternity 
of the county. 

Mr. Burket has been one of the leading Republicans for a number of 
years and was an active party worker until the election of his father to the 
supreme bench, but since then he has been closely confined to the practice of 
his profession. He is one of the many who believe that a healthy interest in 
political affairs is the duty of every citizen and since 1877 he has been present 
at the conventions of his party and has been recognized as an able and effec- 
tive speaker. In 1890 he was elected prosecuting attorney of the county 
and gave a very capable administration for three years, but refused another 
nomination because of the pressure of business at his father's leaving the firm. 
He has been director of the iVmerican National Bank at Findlay for the past 
ten years and since 1895 has been its vice president. Mr. Burket is also con- 
nected with various fraternal organizations, the Odd Fellows, the Elks, the 
Knights of Pythias, and the Masonic order, in which he has passed the chival- 
ric degrees and is now a Knight Templar. Mr. Burket was married in Find- 
lay, January 16, 1895, to Augusta Dukes, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; she is a 
daughter of Cyrus Dukes, deceased, a member of one of the oldest and most 
influential families in Hancock county. They are now the parents of one 
son, Jacob F., Jr., who was born January 28, 1897. 

ROBERT H. FITZGERALD. 

One of the manufacturing industries which has greatly increased the 
wealth of the state of Ohio is the rectifying of coal oil or petroleum. When, 
within the last decade, oil was struck, and a new oil field found in Ohio, it 
brought into the state oil men, or producers, from the older oil regions of 
Pennsylvania. Robert H. Fitzgerald, of Findlay, Ohio, is an oil producer 
who was reared in the oil regions and grew up in the business. He was born 
at Rouseville, Venango county, Pennsylvania, in 1869, from which place he 
moved when in infancy to various other points in the oil regions of Penn- 
sylvania, where his father lived, and was engaged in the oil business; and 
Robert Fitzgerald, himself, went into the oil business when only eighteen 



522 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

years of age. He settled in Findlay, Ohio, in the year 1890, and has Hved 
there ever since, engaged in producing oil. 

Mr. Fitzgerald was married January 18, 1899, in Findlay, Ohio, to 
Margaret T., daughter of William F. Kearns, and they ha\'e one son, Robert 
Francis Fitzgerald, born December 20, 1899. 

Robert Fitzgerald, father of our subject, born in Rochester, New York, 
in 1842, was one of the original oil men in Pennsylvania, and is still engaged 
in that business. He was married in 1863 to Agnes Dowrey and they had 
five children, all living. Our subject's grandfather, Robert Fitzgerald, was 
born in county Clare, Ireland, in 181 6, emigrated to America in 1831, and 
located at first in Canada, where he was employed as foreman in the con- 
struction of the old Erie Canal. Later, he went to New York and engaged 
in farming, in which occupation he spent the remainder of his days. He 
died at Ellicottville, New York, in 1880. 

Robert H. Fitzgerald holds to the faith of his ancestors, and belongs 
to the Roman Catholic church. Fraternally he is connected with the Elks, 
Knights of Columbus and Maccabees. Though still a young man, Mr. Fitz- 
gerald has won the respect of his fellow citizens, and is known through- 
out Hancock county as one who thoroughly understands his work, which 
has developed a very profitable industry for the people of Findlay and Han- 
cock county generally. 

ALFRED H. BALSLEY. 

To the deep student of the many forces which move and propagate our 
national, political, social and moral life it must appear that the modern news- 
paper is one of the most considerable factors, acting upon the masses, as 
the great Napoleon well recognized, with more power than an army; and it 
must, therefore, bring to the editor, whether in the local or larger fields of 
journalism, a feeling of pride as well as responsibility when he considers the 
instrument of molding public opinion which has been placed in his hands. 
And one of the enterprising and progressive journals of the twentieth cen- 
tury civilization in Hancock county, Ohio, is the "Jeffersonian" of Findlay, 
owned and edited by the subject of this sketch. 

Alfred H. Balsley comes of a good old family, his maternal grandfather 
Miller having been one of the patriots of the war of the Revolution, and 
his father, Michael Balsley, who was a native of the state of Pennsylvania, 
was a soldier in the war of 181 2. The birthplace of our subject was in 
Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and the date the isth of December, 1828. There 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 523 

he lived up to his twenty-fourth year, taking advantage of such educational 
opportunities as he could obtain. He early decided to learn the printer's trade 
and in 1841 entered the office of the "Daily Chronicle," where he remained 
two years, mastering the details of that craft. For two years thereafter he 
was engaged in learning the nailer's trade and from 1847 to 185 1 was em- 
ployed in the nail works at Pittsburg. In the latter year he entered the office 
of the "Pittsburg Dispatch" and worked there as a compositor until 1853, 
when a strike occurred and Mr. Balsley came to Painesville, Ohio. He bought 
the "Grand River Record," a weekly Democratic organ, but at the end of 
six months sold it, and went with it to St. Clairsville, Belmont county, Ohio, 
and continued in the capacity of manager for tw^o years. In the fall of 
1855 he became the owner of the "Plymouth Advertiser" at Plymouth, 
Ohio, a former proprietor of which paper had been the well known David 
R. Locke, more familiarly known as "Petroleum V. Nasby." Mr. Balsley 
remained in control of the "Advertiser" for thirteen years, and then selling 
out bought the "Fremont Journal," a weekly, and carried it on for seven years. 
Mr. Balsley has been the owner of the "Jeffersonian" since 1876. It was at 
first a weekly, but in November, 1880, he established a daily and conducted 
the two papers wnth gratifying success until January 7, 1902, when he soUl 
out and retired. The "Jeffersonian," under his management, was an advo- 
cate of Republican principles, but was always ready to take a determined 
stand on the side of good government, regardless of partisan influences. 

From 1 86 1 to 1869 Mr. Balsley was postmaster of the town of Plym- 
outh, and since taking up his residence in Findlay has served in the city 
council se^•eral times. Fraternally he is a member of the ancient order 
of jMasons and for many years has been a member of the I. O. O. F. 

WILLIAM H. McELWAINE. 

The bar of Findlay has always ranked well in the state, and some of 
its members have reached exalted positions both in the judiciary and the field 
of politics. The present chief justice of the Ohio supreme court is a Find- 
lay lawyer, and both of the great parties have for years been in the habit of 
seeking for bright lights among the practitioners of this progressive city. 
It takes ability and energy to succeed in competition with such men. as 
there is no profession to which the doctrine of the survival of the fittest may 
be so appropriately applied as to that of the la^v. Therefore even to hold 
one's own among such a brilliant coterie of legal geniuses is no mean per- 
formance, while to be al)le. to advance well toward the front is an achieve- 



524 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

rnent of which one may well feel proud, and this praise seems justly due to 
Mr. McElwaine after fifteen years' practice at the Findlay bar. 

flis family is of Scottish origin, the American branch being founded 
by Richard McElwaine, who came from Scotland when a young man and 
settled in Pennsylvania in the early part of the nineteenth century. His 
son, James McElwaine, was born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, in 
1819, and at the age of fifteen years accompanied his parents on their re- 
moval to Mercer county. His first business venture after growing up was 
as a merchant at Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania, where he remained many years 
and eventually met his death in 18S8. In 1834 he married Penelope J. 
Long, and became the father of nine children, of whom six are now living, 
and among them the subject of this sketch. 

William H. McElwaine was born in M^ercer county, Pennsylvania, April 
22, 1859, but in early infancy was taken by his parents to the village of 
Sandy ]^ake, where he continued to reside until reaching his majority. Mean- 
time he had attended the common schools, improved his opportunities by 
diligence and after a course at Washington and Jefferson College was grad- 
uated by that institution in 1885. Liimediately after leaving college he 
began the study of law in the office of John Smith at Mercer, Pennsylvania, 
and was admitted to the bar in the fall of 1887. In the spring of the fol- 
lowing year he located at Findlay and entered actively upon the practice 
of his profession, which he has continued up to the present time with in- 
creasing success, and is now regarded as one of the best lawyers in Han- 
cock county. In 1887 Mr. McElwaine was married at Oil City, Pennsyl- 
vania, to Miss Nellie Nelson, who died in Findlay on the 8th of January, 
.1892, leaving two daughters, Jean M. and Mary M. Mr. McElwaine's re- 
ligious affiliations are with the Presbyterians, and he is regular in his at- 
tendance at the church of that denomination. In politics his predilections 
have always been Republican, and he lends to the principles of that great 
party his most zealous support and intelligent advocacy. 

SIMON WOLF. 

Simon Wolf, a well-known and respected farmer of Hancock county, 
Ohio, residing upon his farm in Marion township, is a practical agriculturist, 
having devoted the most part of his life to the tilling of the soil. 

The birth of Mr. Wolf was in 1834, in Stark county, Ohio, and he is 
a son of Solomon and Elizabeth (Hopple) Wolf, who removed to Findlay, 
Ohio, when their son was about sixteen years of age. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 525 

Simon attended school both in Stark and in Hancock countic. Ohio 
and -has always been identified with farming interests since completing- his 
education. His productive farm is located in Marion township. He is a 
leading member of the Methodist church in Findlay, has acceptably held 
the position of school director and served his township as supervisor. 

In 1855 Mr. Wolf was married to Miss Elizabeth Folk, who died Oc- 
tober 21, 1885. The second marriage of Mr. Wolf was to Mrs. Maria 
Lanning September 7, 1890. The eight children born to his first marriage 
are: Irwm, John, Nelson, Sophronia, Sarah, Lemuel, Sqlomon and Clif- 
ford. The family is much esteemed in the community and they have a wide 
circle of friends. 

ELIJAH T. DUNN. 

^ In reviewing the prominent members of the Hancock bar the name of 
Elijah T. Dunn takes precedence of many of his professional brethren, and 
we are pleased to present to his numerous friends and acquaintances a sketch 
of his useful life. Tlie ancestry of the Dunn familv is traced back to about 
1720, when George Dunn, with two brothers, all Protestants, came from 
near Londonderry, in the north of Ireland, to Long Island. One brother 
subsequently settled in New Jersey, while George took up his abode in Mary- 
land, and from these brothers the Dunns of Hamilton county, Ohio, Indiana 
and a part of those in Kentucky, Virginia and Pennsylvania derive their 
descent. George Dunn was a Baptist minister, and he carried "the glad 
tidings of great joy" west of the Alleghenv mountains into what in'' his 
honor, was called Dunn's Gap. The date of his birth, death and marriage 
and the name of his wife are unknown. His son, also named George, be- 
came a farmer near Harper's Ferry, in Maryland or Virginia. By his wife. 
Susanna, he had four sons and two daughters, namely: John, who died 
in Washington county, Maryland, about 1831 ; George; Jacib. who died in 
Knox county, Ohio, about 1S62; Peter, who died in Kentucky a few years 
before the war of the rebellion; Catherine, who married James Schneblv, 
and with him settled near Xenia, Ohio; and Mary (or Polly), who mar- 
ried a Mr. Elam and settled in western Ohio. The father of this family 
departed this life on the 22d of February, 1817, while his wife was called to 
her final rest on the 27th of April, i8ti. 

George Dunn, the second son of the second George Dunn and the third 
bearing the name, was born in Washington county, Maryland, January 8, 
T779. and his death occurred in Wood county, Ohio, on the '13th of De- 



526 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

cember, 1865. He was married near the close of the eighteenth century to 
Sarah Mills, who w^as born in 1776, and died in 1845. Their children, all 
born in Maryland, were as follows : Robert, who was born September 8, 
1798, and died on the 21st of August, 1872, married Mary Forsyth; John, 
who was born December i, 1799, and died March 9, 1851, married Elizabeth 
D. Boolman; Susanna died on the 7th of August, 1802, in infancy; Jacob, 
who was born July 8. 1S03, and died in 1879, married Sally Boolman; 
George, who was born P'ebruary 20, 1805, and died in 1881. married Rachel 
Mills; James, born February 20, 1807, and died March 16, 1867, married 
Margaret Coplin ; Moses, who was born January 20, 1809, and died August 
22, 1829, never married; Williani, who was born January 29, 181 1, died be- 
fore marriage on the ist of February, 1859; Maria, who was born December 
16, 1812, alone survives, and is the widow of Jonathan Dean; Elizabeth, 
born June 19, 181 4, died January 31, 181 7; and Peter, who was born May 
4, 1 81 6, and died August 19, 1855, never married. 

John Dunn, the second son of the third George Dunn, married Eliza- 
beth Dorothea Boolman, who was born in Washington county, Maryland, 
January i, 1803. Her father, Nicholas Boolman, was born about 1774, and 
his father came from Germany to Maryland about 1765. Nicholas Bool- 
man married Magdalene Troxel, who was born about the same time as her 
husband, and but little is known of her family history. The children of 
Nicholas and Magdalene Boolman were as follows : Catharine, who was 
born about 1796, married Hiram Lynch: Samuel, who was born in 1798, and 
died in 1864, was twice married, the wives being sisters, and the last wife 
bore the name of Sarah A. ; Jacob, who was born in 1800, and died before 
marriage, in 1817; Elizabeth D., born January i, 1803, married John Dunn, 
and died in March, 1883: Sally, born in 1S04, and died in 1856, married 
Jacob Dunn, a brother of John Dunn; and Nancy, who was born about i8of), 
died in 1822. John Dunn, with his wife and their three eldest children and 
his father, George Dunn, removed from Maryland to Fairfield county, Ohio, 
in 1826. From there they removed to Greene county, this state, thence to 
Knox county, Ohio, and in 1844 came to Wood county, where he died as 
above stated. The children of John and Elizabeth D. Dunn are as follows : 
Ann, born December 5, 1820, married Adam Cosner on the 15th of April, 
1841 ; Jacob (B.), born September 30, 1823, married Angeline Gulp Septem- 
ber 23, 1847; Joseph, born January i, 1826, married Mary Niebel April 12, 
1883; George, born October 3, 1827. died August 29. 1855, unmarried; 
Maria, born September 22, 1829, married Wilson Stretcher July 20, 1865; 
Aaron, born December lO. 1831, died October 20. 1846, unmarried; Sam- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 527 

uel, born May 4, 1834, married Margaret Bishop March 3, 1859; Phebe, 
born May 7, 1836, married Joseph Hoot July 7, 1861 ; Nathaniel, born Sep- 
tember 5, 1838, died October 14, 1846; Elijah (T.), born June 20, 1840, 
married Martha I. Strother January 12, 1865; Maiy Magdalene, born June 
5, 1842, died October 17, 1846; John (R.), born March 24, 1844, died August 
II, 1865, unmarried; and Thomas Corwin, born November 3. 1847, ^^'^^ 
married on the 9th of March, 1871, to Emma T. Lewis. The above names, 
not including the initials in brackets, are those by which the children were 
christened, the initials "B., T. and R." being afterward chosen by Jacob. 
Elijah and John partly to aid in distinguishing from others having similar 
first initials and partly to preserve traces of the old family names of Bool- 
man, Troxel and Rench, though in what way they are related to the latter 
family does not appear in the records. The mother was also related to the 
Hagers. from one of whom Hagerstown. jNIaryland, was named. A family 
of the name of Chambers, of Chambersburg. was also in some way con- 
nected with the ancestry. 

Elijah T. Dunn, a son of John and Elizabeth D. Dunn, accompanied 
his parents on their remo^'al to Wood county, Ohio, in 1844. a location be- 
ing made in what w-as then known as the "Black Swamp," where, around a 
hickory bark fire and W'ith three terms in a winter school, his early education 
w^as completed. At the age of thirteen he entered the office of the Herald 
of Freedom, at Wilmington, and became an expert printer. Subsequently 
he taught several terms of school in Clark and Hancock counties, pursuing 
in the meantime the study of law. On the outbreak of the rebellion he united 
with the Union party while yet a minor, and did service for a short time 
as a member of the Twenty-first Regiment. Ohio Volunteers. Becoming 
vinable to perform duty as a soldier, however, he continued for a time in a 
clerkship in the quartermaster's department at NasIuHle, Tennessee, and 
thence, returning to Findlay, he completed his law course, being admitted 
to the bar on the 2d of August, 1862. He was at that time twenty-two years 
of age, and he immediately located for practice at Findlay. where he has 
ever since been identified with the legal i)rofession. Besides conducting a 
large law practice Mr. Dunn owns and controls a good farm and de\-otes 
considerable attention to fine cattle. He is a stockholder and director in 
the Farmers National Bank, a director and secretary of the Findlay Gas 
Light Company and of the Findlay Oil and Gas Company, and is president 
of the Wood and Hancock Oil and Gas Company. Much of his 
attention is devoted to financial matters, but at the same time he favors public 



528 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

improvement and on all questions involving public enterprises he takes a 
leading and aggressive part. 

On the 1 2th of January, 1865, Mr. Dunn was married to Martha I., 
a daughter of Anthony Strother, of Findlay, and they have had three sons : 
Bernard L.. John A. and James C. Both Mr. and Mrs. Dunn are members 
of the Methodist Episcopal church, and the former is also affiliated with 
Stoker Post, G. A. R., and Hancock Lodge, I. O. O. F. He votes with the 
Republican party, and, although not a politician, he has held the offices of 
justice of the peace and collector of internal revenue. He is a member of 
one of the oldest and most highly respected families of the Buckeye state, and 
as far back as they are known it may be said that they have been honest, 
industrious and intelligent, and never was one convicted of crime. They 
have never become distinguished, but along the vale of life have kept the 
even tenor of their way. 

ANDREW WISEMAN. 

The Wiseman family was one of the first in Hancock county, and is iden- 
tified with its religious growth, and social development. We find Isaac Wise- 
man, the great-grandfather of Andrew, subsequent to the Revolutionary war, 
in Virginia, to which state he removed from Berks county, Pennsylvania. 
The descendants of this same Isaac Wiseman number over one thousand 
souls. One of his sons, the Rev. John Wiseman, a prominent Methodist preach- 
er, was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, in 1762. He was a brave fol- 
lower of Washington in his struggle for freedom, in whose ser\^ices he re- 
mained for six years, experiencing with other patriots the severe and rigid 
winter spent at Valley Forge. Rev. John Wiseman was united in marriage to 
Sara Green, by whom he had ten children, The family removed from Vir- 
ginia to Perry county, Ohio, in 1822. John was ordained by Bishop Asbury, 
who also furnished him with a special license to marry. He was a good 
preacher, a faithful follower of the Master, and consistent in his every day 
life. He died in Perry county in 1833. ^'^^^ ^^ife Sara having outlived 
him some nine years, and dying at the extreme old age of ninety-four. 
Of this family was James G., the father of x^ndrew and Joseph Wise- 
man. James G. was born in Virginia, August 14, 1793, and when he 
came to maturity he married Elizabeth Summers, the marriage taking 
place in 1814. Mrs. Wiseman was -^a native of the old Dominion state, where 
she had been born November 17, 1795. Their children's names were John, 
Andrew, James G., Samuel, George W., Joseph J., Margaret A., Simon 







9^ ^^ ^- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 529 

O., Eliza, Sara, Rebecca, Emily E., Alary A. James G., the father of this 
family, served in the war of 1812. He was a blacksmith by trade and was a 
good mechanic in his day, whose services were in great demand in the early 
pioneer period, when mechanics were scarce. He removed from Perry to 
Hancock county in June, 1831, and located in Washington township, where 
he entered two hundred and forty acres of government land, upon which he 
erected in 1843 ^ substantial brick residence. ]^^or long years it was one of the 
best residence properties in the county. During his life time he and his sons 
cleared the farm. James G. Wiseman was a man of considerable influence 
in his day, a good and loyal citizen, and was honored by being entrusted with 
some of the township offices. He was an honest man, a member of the 
Alethodist Episcopal church, in which body he was highly respected. He died 
in 1872 at the advanced age of eighty years. His wife, Elizabeth S., died 
six years later. Of their thirteen children, only three are now living: Andrew, 
Joseph and Angeline. Five of the sons served their country in the Civil war, 
and four of them died from the effects of the rigorous service. Besides those 
five brothers, the husbands of two of the daughters and one nephew served 
gallantly in the ranks. Surely the patriotic blood of John Wiseman of Rev- 
olutionary fame must have coursed through the veins of his descendants. 
The names of the five brothers who offered themselves as a sacrifice on the 
altar of their country were: James, Samuel, George, Andrew and Simon. 
Samuel and Simon lost their lives in battle at Shiloh. 

Andrew Wiseman, one of the surviving members of this family, whose 
name heads this biography, was born in Madison county, Ohio, September 28, 
1 81 7. He was thirteen years of age when he came to Hancock county, and his 
early life was spent in the severe labor of clearing a pioneer farm. As stated 
previously, his inherent patriotism was signally exemplified at the outbreak 
of the Civil war when he enlisted as a member of the Twenty-first Regiment, 
Ohio Volunteer Infantry. This company joined the fortunes of the army 
of the Cumberland, where it served for three years, participating in nearly all 
of the most prominent battles. At the battle of Nashville, Andrew was dis- 
abled, and incapacitated for active duty for quite a period. He was subse- 
quently promoted to the rank of corporal and frequently acted in the higher 
position of sergeant. He was honorably discharged at Huntsville, Alabama, 
in 1862. On return to civil life he took up his former vocation, that of a 
farmer, which he has continued to the present time. In 1846 Mr. Wiseman 
was united in wedlock to Miss Louise Smith, who died without issue in 1862. 
In 1866 he again married, this time choosing as companion Ellen Lindsey. 
To this union one daughter, Minnie Newhouse, now a resident of Fostoria, 



530 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

was born. The mother, who (hed Deceml^er 20, igoo, is remembered as a wo- 
man of gentle disposition and was mourned by a very large number of friends 
and acquaintances. Air. ^^'iseman owned one hundred and sixty acres of land 
in Hancock county and the same number in Iowa, and has held the offices of 
assessor, constable and census enumerator. He is a member of the Method- 
ist Episcopal church. He is a worthy member of the F. and A. M., and is a 
charter member of the blue lodge of Fostoria. He is at the present time past 
master of that organization. He is also a member of the chapter and com- 
mandery of Findlay. Among other organizations in which Air. Wiseman de- 
lights to work, is the G. A. R., he beonging to the post at Fostoria. In his 
early pioneer life Mr. Wiseman was an experienced hunter, a fact evidenced 
by the trophies of the chase which decorate his walls. He boasts of a record 
of having killed in his life-time over three hundred deer. 

JOSEPH W^ISEAIAN. 

Joseph Wiseman, a younger brother of the aljove, is a resident of Wash- 
ington township, owning and operating one of the best farms in Hancock 
county, and which contains one hundred and ninety acres. He was born 
in Perry county, Ohio, November i, 1825, and was six years of age when he 
first came to the county. His entire training and education was in Washington 
township, and upon attaining his majority he settled there, and has since been 
successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits. His first purchase of land was 
made in 1848, the tract containing fifty acres. This he subsequently disposed 
of, and bought a farm near Fostoria, where he engaged in ''trucking" for a 
few years. In 1874 he purchased his present farm, which he has improved ex- 
tensively. The marriage of Air. Joseph Wiseman occurred in Richland coun- 
ty, Ohio, in 1854. His wife's maiden name was Ann Leedy. Nine children 
were born by her as follows : John, Jennie, Oran, Nettie, William and Delia. 
The names of those deceased are Sophronia, Charles and Elmer. The mother 
of this family was a native of Richland county, Ohio, where she was born in 
.1829. On the side of the Wisemans, the family is of English extraction, 
the maternal branch of the family being of German descent. 

The name of Wiseman is one whose long association with the affairs of 
Hancock county has made it familiar with every citizen in the county, and no 
suspicion or taint of anything dishonorable has ever attached to it. The pres- 
ent generation are keeping- up the excellent reputation handed down to them 
by the pioneer members of the family, and are looked upon as the most worthy 
representatives of the farming industry in Hancock county. 




MRS. JOSEPH WISEMAN. 




JOSEPH WISEMAN. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 53 1 

ALLISON H. NICHOLS. 

The photogTaph g-allery is an indispensaljle adjunct of every live town, 
and no village can be considered np-to-date which cannot boast a place of 
this kind. The " picture gallery " is a favorite place of resort for all classes, 
and the personage who performs the wonderful work of transferring the 
" huuian form divine " to cardboard is always an important and usually a 
very popular character in the community. Findlay is fortunate in this re- 
spect, as in the person of Mr. Nichols it possesses not only a genial gentleman 
and intelligent companion but an artist of acknowledged skill in the profes- 
sion of photography. The family is of Vermont origin, and Walter Nichols, 
the grandfather of our subject, was born in that state in 1782, follow-ed the 
occupation of farming during all the years of his active life, and enjoyed re- 
markable longevity, as his death did not occur until 1878. His son, Hiram 
B. Nichols, was born in Niagara county. New York, in 1824, and ten years 
later came with his father to Eaton county, Michigan, wdiere he grew^ to man- 
hood. In his early life he w-as engaged in agricultural pursuits, but in later 
years became a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, and devoted all 
his energies to making proselytes in the cause of Christianity. He was a 
w^orthy man in every respect, highly esteemed both in religious and other 
circles, and when he passed away in 1878 was sincerely mourned by the num- 
erous body of friends who had learned to esteem his many admirable qualities. 
He w-as married in 1847, and the only child by this union w'as Allison H. 
Nichols, whose birth occurred on a farm in Eaton county, Michigan, Jan- 
uary 24, 1849. He had the misfortune of losing his mother Avhen only nine 
years old, that estimable lady's death having occurred in 1858, and during 
his boyhood he worked on the farm in season wdiile attending the district 
schools during the winter time. This routine continued until he reached the 
twenty-second year of his age, when he began to think of plans for the future. 
Following the bent of his inclinations, he entered a photographer's office at 
Charlotte, Michigan, and remained there until he had mastered the details of 
this interesting vocation. Feeling that he was duly equipped for the prose- 
cution of this artistic profession on his ow-n account Mr. Nichols chose the 
thriving city of Findlay as a desirable location and consequently took up his 
permanent abode there August 8, 1876. He has done w^ell and has succeeded 
in building up a good business, while at the same time winning hosts of 
friends by his urbanity and accommodating disposition. 

In September, 1876, Mr. Nichols led to the altar as his chosen bride Miss 
Clara C, daughter of Augustus Sheffield, of Findlay, and their union, wdiich 



532 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

lias been in every way congenial, resulted in the birth of two children : Ly- 
man S. and Carrie ]\I. The standing of Mr. Nichols in his adopted com- 
munity is evidenced by the fact of his election to the city council in 1886 and 
his satisfactory service for one term, besides his membership of the school 
board, in which position he rendered efficient service in the cause of education. 
Mr. Nichols is connected witli the First Methodist Episcopal church, and 
gratifies his inclination for fraternal fellowship by membership in the Inde- 
pendent order of Odd Fellows. 

CHARLES RUSSELL TAYLOR. 

The subject of this sketch is another of those men, many of whom are 
mentioned in this volume, who became identified with the oil industry 
in youth, made their success in that line and remained more or less in con- 
nection therewith all their lives. Mr. Taylor has been what is called an 
"oil man" for nearly thirty years, and there are few things connected with 
the business which he does not understand from practical experience. 
Though a native of Ohio, he has only been a resident of l^indlay about 
twelve years, but during that time has done his full share toward the moral 
and industrial growth of the city. 

Charles Russell Taylor was born in Claridon, Ohio, January 17, 1854, 
and remained at the place of his nativity until he had reached the twenty- 
first year of his age. His thoughts for some time had been turned toward 
the great oil fields of Pennsylvania, where so many had made fortunes and 
which had become the breeding'-ground for speculative ventures of all kinds. 
Without much capital, but a natural capacity for business, Mr. Taylor en- 
tered with enthusiasm into the work as soon as he arrived at Petrolia, Penn- 
sylvania, and his career "in oil" thus commenced in 1876 lasted until 1891, 
during which time he greatly improved his financial fortunes. With this 
additional capital, secured and fortified with the large experience acquired 
in the oil regions, Mr. Taylor came to Findlay in the year last mentioned 
and resumed his occupation in the same line of business at that point. 

In November, 1875, Mr. Taylor was married at his birthplace to Miss 
Mary E., daughter of Henry Smith, by which union he has an only son, 
Arthur E., a youth of unusually bright promise. His birth occurred at 
Petrolia, Pennsylvania, October 21, 1877, and after coming to Findlay he 
was graduated in the high school of that city. Shortly thereafter he entered 
Hiram College in Portage county, Ohio, where he proved a diligent student 
and received his Ph. B. degree in the class of 1901. Lie is now in his second 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 533 

year at the University of Chicago, taking a post-graduate course in geology. 
The family of Mr. Taylor are communicants of the Church of Christ and 
he himself has been active in religious work as a member of the Young Men's 
Christian Association at Findlay, of which he was elcted president in 1901. 



JACOB INGOLD. 

The noble land of freedom and of scenery, Switzerland, has produced 
many enterprising and capable citizens of this country, and the agricultural 
interests are especially indebted to this class of foreigners. Andrew and 
Annie Ingold, the parents of our subject, came from that country to Amer- 
ica in 1853 and settled in Hancock county. Big Lick township, where they 
remained for four years; they then resided in Findlay for one year and in 
the spring of i860 took up their residence in Pleasant township, buying a 
farm of forty acres. Mr. Ingold was a miller by trade and followed this 
calling for several years. He was an industrious man and honest to a fault, 
living in the high esteem of all his neighbors. He belonged to the German 
Reformed church and later joined the Church of God. His death took place 
March 30, 1893, but his wife still survives, making her home in ]\IcComb. 
There were three children, Anna, Elizabeth and Jacob. 

Jacob, the only son of the above parents, was born in Switzerland in 
the year 1852, and passed his boyhood and received his education in Pleasant 
township. His whole life has been devoted to farming. In 1880 he made 
his first purchase of land, buying out his sister's interest in the home farm, 
to which he has subsequently added by purchase eighty acres, making a nice 
farm of one hundred and twenty acres. On this land there were only a 
few acres of improved soil, and he went to work with that indomitable will 
of his and in a few years made his farm blossom like a rose. He is a mod- 
ern and progressive agriculturist, believes in making use of all the late aids 
to farming in the way of improved machinery, and his farm is one of the 
models in the vicinity. It has large and commodious buildings and every- 
thing needed for the care and cultivation of crops. 

. In 1876 Mr. Ingold was united in marriage to Laura A., daughter of 
Samuel and Sarah Ramsey. Six children have been born of this union, of 
whom four survive : Melvin J. ; Daniel C. ; Myrtle E. ; and Charles F. His 
iirst wife died on April 14, 1887, and March 17, 1889, he was married to 
Mrs. Mary Brooks. The four children born of this union are: Aaron 
E., Rachel A., Homer H. and Floyd B. 



534 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

PROF. M. R. HAMMOND. 

We are, in reality, separated by only a very short time from the days 
of the log school house, with its slab seats, with its rude and inefficient 
methods of instruction and the teachers wdio followed the profession only as 
a stepping- stone to something better, but so extensive and far reaching have 
been the changes in the educational world in the last half century that we 
seem to have overleaped centuries of our former short strides, and the 
schools of our fathers seem a reminder of an age long past and antiquated. 
Who, then are responsible for these developments if not the progressive, 
energetic, large-souled and broad-minded teachers themselves? The glori- 
ous encomiums spoken of the "little red school house on the hill" have often 
neglected him who was the soul and moving spirit of that wonderful edifice, 
the patient, toiling and small paid teacher. It is the object of this brief 
sketch to outline the life history of one of the foremost educators in Han- 
cock county, Ohio, Professor M. R. Hammond, the superintendent of public 
instruction of Vanlue. 

Grandfather Thomas G. Hammond was one of the first settlers in Dela- 
ware township, Hancock county, having come there in 1835; he was the 
owner of about two sections of land which he had entered from the govern- 
ment. His son, who was known as Squire Hammond, was born in Dela- 
ware township in 1842 and there spent his life as a tiller of the soil. He 
married Miss Emeline Ballard, who was born in the same township in 1844, 
and they became the parents of the subject of this sketch. 

M. R. Hammond was born in Delaware township, Hancock county, 
Ohio, January 11, 1864, in the little town of Mount Blanchard; there he 
was reared and received the advantages of the schools of his native town ; he 
completed his education in Ada University, in which institution he is now 
a senior. On arriving at manhood he took up his life work, and for seven- 
teen years has followed his profession, confining his work to the southern part 
of his native county. One of the highest compliments that can be paid to 
his ability is that he taught for four years in his own town, where he com- 
manded the utmost respect of those with whom he had grown up. In 1897 
he accepted his present position as the principal of the Vanlue high school, 
where he is giving entire satisfaction to the patrons of the town, Mr. Ham- 
mond has under his supervision and care nearly two hundred pupils, with 
a corps of four teachers; the beautiful building, arranged and equipped ac- 
cording to the most approved ideas of modern educational architecture, was 
erected in 1892 and is a model for a rural school. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 535 

In 1886 Mr. Hammond became the husband of Miss Nora E. Smith, 
the daughter of Jerome and Margaret Smith, of Mount Blanchard ; two chil- 
dren have been born, Clarence S. and Carrie E. In religion the family have 
always been devout Methodists. Mr. Hammond was reared in the belief 
of Democratic principles, but so many of the indq^endent thinking men 
of the present day, has departed from the ancestral way and is now an ardent 
Republican. 

GEORGE W. OMAN. 

George W. Oman, a retired farmer of Jackson township, who now re- 
sides at his pleasant home in Findlay, Ohio, still owns a valuable farm of 
one hundred and sixty acres which is located in the oil belt of Hancock 
county, and has five producing wells upon it. 

The paternal grandparents of Mr. Oman were John and Faithful (El- 
liott) Oman, both of whom were born in Pennsylvania, but in their early 
married life removed to Pickaway county, Ohio, in 1842, locating in Eagle 
township, Hancock county. Here Grandfather Oman purchased a farm of 
eighty acres of new land and with great industry cleared it for cultivation. 
That John Oman was a man of high character may be known from the 
fact that his neighbors were wont to call him Honest John, on account of 
his integrity and truthfulness. His family numbered five children, and three 
of these still survive, namely : Josiah, Ephraim and Plannah, the two older 
brothers residing in Hancock county. 

Josiah Oman, the eldest of the family, was born in Pickaway county, 
Ohio, in 1 83 1 and came to Hancock county with his father. He is now 
an esteemed resident of Amanda township, owning there one of the finest 
farms, consisting of one hundred and seventy acres. Mr. Oman has been 
prominent in township affairs, holding all of the offices with credit, and has 
l?een a sensible, practical and successful man. He married Susan Hartman, 
of Fairfield county, in 1847, who died in 1895. They had a family of seven 
children, four of whom are still living, namely : Joi»i. Grant, Millie, Alaiw, 
Andrew, Franklin and George W. 

George W. Oman was born in Eagle township, Hancock county, in Oc- 
tober, 1858, was reared on the farm and was educated in the district schools. 
His early interests centered in agricultural affairs and he has devoted his life 
to the same. In 1887 he made his first purchase of land, buying eighty 
acres in Amanda township, which he immediately set about improving. In 
1890 he was able to dispose of this property at an advanced rate, and in 



536 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

1 89 1 he bought one hundred and sixty acres in Jackson township, which he 
still owns. In 1898 he retired from active labor and now enjoys the com- 
forts of his city home in Findlay, having purchased this property in 1897. 

February 15, 1887, Mr. Oman was united in marriage with Miss Viola 
Van Sant, who was born in Hancock county in 1861, and who is a daughter 
of William H. and Harriet E. (Mains) Van Sant, both of these families be- 
ing among the old settlers of the county. To our subject and wife were born 
two children, Howard' and Homer. 

ISAAC WALDO MARVIN. 

The subject of this sketch, now a retired business man, is a native of 
Hancock county, and has spent all his life within its limits. Most of his 
labors have been expended in agricultural pursuits, varied by the manage- 
ment of a planing mill, but of late years Mr. Marvin has taken life more 
leisurely, his occupation consisting in looking after his property. The Marvin 
family originated in England, but by emigration became identified at an early 
period with Pennsylvania, where the descendants lived for several genera- 
tions. Rev. Serah Marvin, son of the founder, spent his active life in the 
Keystone state and there reared a family. William Marvin, one of his 
children, was born in Pennsylvania in 1797, came to Hancock county in 1828 
and died at Findlay in 1880. He was a distiller by occupation, and before the 
war kept the old Marvin Inn, three miles east of Findlay, which for years was 
a famous hostelry in northwestern Ohio. His son, Stephen Marvin, was 
born in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, in 1820, and came to Ohio with his 
parents in boyhood. He was married in 1841 to Mary Kelley, who died in 
1893. He became a millwright and followed that trade for many years, his 
death occurring at Findlay in 1893. 

Isaac Waldo Marvin, son of the last mentioned, was born at Findlay, 
Ohio, November 17, 1855, and as he grew up was educated in the usual way 
in the county schools. At the age of twenty-one he took possession of a farm 
in Hancock county belonging to his father, and spent nine years in its cultiva- 
tion and management. Returning to Findlay at the expiration of this time, 
he later joined his brother Cloyd in the ownership and management of a plan- 
ing mill, which occupied his attention for the five following years. He then 
retired from active business and is now spending his time looking after farm- 
ing at Findlay. 

In 1881 Mr. Marvin married Lucy Bish, who died in 1886, leaving a 
daughter named Frances. In 1890 he took a second wife, m the person of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 537 

]\f iss Ada Anthony, by whom he has four children : Bernice, Stephen, Mary 
and Ada Gertrude. Mr. Marvin's rehgious affihations are with the Lutheran 
church and in pohtics he is a Repubhcan. 

HARVEY G. CLARK. 

The gentleman abo\-e mentioned is a natixe of Findlay, has spent all of 
his life in and around that city, and has done his share in developing its in- 
dustries and aiding in its growth. Commencing hard work at a very early 
age, he rose step by step until he became a producer of oil and prospered rea- 
sonably in that business. Though of Pennsylvania origin, the family had 
representatives among the early pioneers of Ohio, and several generations 
have grown up on the soil of the Buckeye state. Daniel VV. Clark, grand- 
father of our subject, was born in Hancock county, during the first decade of 
the nineteenth century, passed his life in its borders, and died there in 1866 
when about fifty-eight years of age. His son, Harvey G. Clark, was born in 
Hancock county in 1838, became a soldier of the Civil war and sacrificed his 
life in the cause of his country. He was among the first volunteers in 1861, 
enlisting as a private in Company G, Ninety-Eighth Regiment of Ohio Infan- 
try, and died in 1863, while in the service. He married Mary Todd, by whom 
he had two children, the eldest being John E., at present a resident of Colum- 
bus, Ohio, and the other, Harx^ey G. of Findlay, who is the subject of this 
sketch. 

Harvey G. Clark, his father's namesake and youngest child, was born 
at Findlay, Ohio, in 1863, the same year that his father's death occurred, 
while serving in the Union army. Harvey had but few educational advan- 
tages, such as he obtained being before he reached the age of fourteen, when 
he was compelled to quit school for work on the farm. He w^as thus em- 
ployed for two years, then drove a team in the country for three years, and in 
1886 made his entry into the oil business. His first job in that line was as a 
pumper, which was followed by tool-dressing, and eventually Mr. Clark be-r 
gan contracting on his own account. From that time on he has continued 
steadily in this employment, and is so engaged at the present time. He has 
done much work for various firms and individuals, besides drilling several 
gas well for the city of Findlay. He has exhibited skill in his calling, has 
managed his business affairs w-ith good judgment and now belongs to the 
class which in the common parlance is styled "well fixed." He is regarded 
in the community as a man who does his work well and discharges his duty 
towards those who entrust him with responsibility. 
34 



538 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

In 1887 Mr. Clark united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth, daughter of 
William Baldwin, and this union has resulted in the birth of five children : 
Frederick, Edith, Ethel, Edward and Charles. Mr. Clark is not connected 
with any religious organization, but is a member of the order of Maccabees. 
During his adult life he has been connected with the Republican party, but 
confines himself to voting, as he is not a seeker for office. 

GEORGE W. DE VORE. 

The subject of this sketch, whose name is above presented, now a pros- 
perous farmer of Blanchard township, can look back over a long life, whose 
early beginnings gave little promise of future success. In fact his lot was 
that one which of all that befall human beings is perhaps the most to be 
dreaded — the being left and orphan of tender years to be thrust out upon the 
cold charities of the world, among strangers, with the consequent neglect and 
ill treatment which is almost sure to follow. Yet from such a fate Mr. De 
Vore struggled manfully up to a position of standing in his community, pos- 
sessed of a comfortable competence and, what is still better, tlie good will and 
esteem of all his neighbors. It is pleasant to talk or write about such men 
and no doubt a brief summary of his career will be pursued with interest. 

In the early half of the nineteenth century there lived in Tuscarawas 
county, Ohio, a French family by the name of De Vore, who had arrived with 
the first settlers of that section. Among their children, bom after the location 
in Tuscarawas, was a son called William, who after reaching maturity was 
married to Fannie Alford, a native of the adjoining county of Carroll. This 
couple lived but a few years after their marraige, and at their death left 
four helpless children, the youngest of which was only six months old. Of 
these three are now living and one of them is the subject of this sketch. 
One brother, supposed to be still living, has not been seen or heard from since 
the separation in childhood. George W. De Vore was born in Carroll county, 
July 4, 1840, and at the time his parents died was but seven years of age. 
He met the usual fate of orphans by being cast among strangers to be reared 
and his education was so badly neglected that he was compelled later in life 
to educate himself by reading with the assistance of his wife. After a life 
of bitter struggle and privations he at length found himself at the age of 
nineteen confronted with the problem of obtaining a means of livelihood. In 
1859 he arrived in Hancock county, not only without money, but with a 
debt of eight dollars hanging over him, which to this inexperienced wan- 
<lerer at that time seemed as heavy as a mountain. But young DeVore was 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 539 

made of the stuff that is proof against hardship and which eventually never 
fails to rescue its possessor from the most trying environments. He set to 
work and though his tasks were arduous and but ill requitted he found steady 
labor, the true panacea for most of the ills of life. His wife's parents gave 
them forty acres of land in the wilds of Putnam county, which had cost 
them three hundred dollars. Mr. De Vore built on this, cleared and improved 
it and in time sold it for one thousand dollars. At a later period he bought 
one hundred and ninety acres of good land in Hancock county, and this 
estate, which is situated in Blanchard township, constitutes his present place 
of residence. In March, 1865, Mr. De Vore enlisted in Company I, One 
Hundred and Ninety-seventh Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with 
which he served until honorably discharged at the close of the war. He has 
held several township offices and taken a modest part in public affairs of a 
local nature. His religious affiliations are with the United Brethren church 
and his fraternal connections with the Odd Fellows, Daughters of Rebecca 
and Lindsay Post No. 75, Grand Army of the Republic. 

Mr. De Vore was happy in his selection of a wife, his choice being Mary 
Jane Braze, to whom he was united July i, i860. This lady not only per- 
formed all her marital duties with unwearying affection but was helpful in 
enabling her husband to obtain a good English education. She was born 
June 20, 1840, of French parents, and passed away March i, 1901, with- 
out making an enemy during her long and blameless life. This union proved 
as fruitful as it was happy, the household being brightened by the following 
list of children: John \\., born in 1861 ; James Isaac, born in 1864; George 
C., born in 1868; David A., 1871 ; Henry Raven, 1873; Lillie M., 1876; 
Samuel H., 1879; Mary E., 1881 ; and Jennie A., 1883. It remains only to 
be added that George W. De Vore is a man of integrity, honest in all his 
dealings and a selfmade man in the best sense of those words. 

JEFFERSON ROLLER. 

This gentleman is one of the prosperous farmers of Big Lick town- 
ship, where, in partnership with his brother Thomas, he owns and culivates 
two hundred and forty acres of valuable land. The founder of this family 
in Ohio was William Roller, who purchased about nine hundred acres of 
land in the early part of the nineteenth century. At his death this land, all 
of which he had retained and much more, was distributed equally among 
his children. William Roller rose to a position of prominence and influ- 
ence in his county, and for a number of years held the important office of 



540 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

associate judge. One of his children was Wilson Roller, who came to Han- 
cock county in 1834, was married to Mary Thomas in 1839, and located 
where their son Jefferson now resides. He became influential in local aft'airs, 
held several township offices and was regarded as a model citizen. He was 
born in 1817, and died in 1871, while his wife's death occurred in 1894, at 
the age of seventy-three years. Of their family of eight children five are 
living, namely : Nancy, Jane, Jeft'erson, Thomas and VV. C. 

Jeft"erson Roller was born December 6, 1848, on the farm which he now 
owns in Hancock county, Ohio. He was reared and educated in his native 
township and has never followed any other business excepting that of agri- 
culture. In this, however, he has achieved marked success, being regarded 
as one of the most progressive and enterprising farmers in this section of 
county. The esteem felt for him by his fellow citizens is mdicated by the 
fact that they have repeatedly elected him to local offices. For seven years 
he held the office of township trustee and at the present time is township 
treasurer. 

In 1872 Mr. Roller was united in marriage to Miss Letitia Roberts and 
this union, which has been a happy one in all respects, resulted in the birth of 
two children,— Lyman L. and Clyd W. Mrs. Roller died March 29, 1874, 
and in 1890 Mr. Roller took a second wife in the person of Miss Nellie 
Ault. By this marriage there have been six children : Alma, James, Dewey, 
Mary, Ruth and Florence. Mr. Roller is a member of the Order of Ben Hur, 
and takes an active interest both in the social and business affairs of the 
community in which he resides. 

M. C. YOUNG. 

Though a resident of Hancock county only fourteen years the above 
named gentleman is well established as one of the enterprising farmers of 
Big Lick township. The family from which he comes is of German origin, 
and its representatives have been people of such quiet worth as to deserve 
more than passing notice. George Young, a successful farmer of Stark 
county, Ohio, died at the age of eighty-eight years, leaving a son named 
Daniel. The latter, a native of Stark county, was also a farmer by occu- 
pation, and died in the place of his nativity when sixty-four years old. He 
married Mary Darr, who still survives, and whose children gave her a sur- 
prise party September 3. 1902, in honor of her eighty-third birthday. M. 
C. Young, one of the children of this venerable lady, was born in Stark 
county, Ohio, June 18, 1854, and lived there until the thirty-fourth year of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 54 1 

his age. His training was that of a farmer's boy and his education such as 
is obtainable in the district schools. In 1888 he came to Hancock county, 
and after renting- land for several years purchased the farm of fifty-eight 
acres in Big Lick township where he has resided since 1895. This place has 
been much improved by Mr. Young, and everything about the farm gives 
evidence of thrift and prosperity. He soon gained the esteem of his neigh- 
bors by his honorable dealings and has been honored by election to several 
of the important local offices. As a farmer he is progressive in his methods, 
up-to-date in improvements of all kinds and well informed concerning the de- 
tails of his business. The Youngs have always been noted for iheir peace- 
loving disposition, and its is said there has not been a law suit in the family 
for three generations. The brother of Mr. Young's mother gave his life to 
his country in the hour of need, and on both sides of the house the rq^re- 
sentatives of this worthy family have always proved patriotic citizens. 

In 1876 Mr. Young married Miss Amanda E. Stands, born in Stark 
county, Ohio, May 9, 1856, concerning whose family relations a word or 
two will prove of interest. Her grandfather, Leonard Stands, was of Ger- 
man descent and followed the occupation of a cooper in the state of Penn- 
sylvania. His son, Henry Stands, who was born in Pennsylvania, learned 
the trade of a weaver, but became a farmer in the latter part of his life. He 
married Lydia Holm, of Stark county, who died at the age of seventy-five, 
while her husabnd's death occurred January 24, 1886, when he was seventy- 
four years old. Mr. and Mrs. Young have four children living: Sylvia O., 
Esta E., Nelson R. and Eva M. Emei-y A. and Mary A., died when quite 
small. There is no more pleasant household in Big Lick township than that 
of Mr. Young, nor any citizen of that community who enjoys or deserves 
more general esteem. 

J. H. BENNER. 

In 1845, shortly after his marriage to Caroline Fenstermaker, Israel 
Benner came into Hancock county for the purpose of seeking a permanent 
home. Though possessed of little of this world's goods he was master of a 
useful trade, was of an industrioi.is disposition and as work was then plenti- 
ful in his line he soon began to make material headway. Israel's handi- 
craft was that of a carpenter, and as there was considerable building in pro- 
gress at that time in Hancock county he was never at a loss for steady em- 
ployment. Land was also cheap at that period of the county's history, and 
Israel Benner had little difficulty in securing possession of eighty acres in 



542 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Union township, on which he built the regulation log cabin and set up 
housekeeping after the matter of fact style peculiar to pioneers. As his sons 
grew up they assisted in the work, so that in course of time the original 
eighty had been increased to one hundred and twenty acres of land, and the 
Benners were in independent circumstances. The farm, of course, was 
greatly improved by cultivation, fencing and building, and eventually be- 
came quite a cosy as well as valuable home. By the fact that he held sev- 
eral offices in the township, including that of trustee, it is evident that Israel 
Benner stood well with his neighbors and was a man of consequence in the 
community. In early life he had been admitted into the Evangelical church, 
but later joined the United Brethren, and his daily life was in keeping with 
the tenets of Christianinty, which teach honesty of purpose and integrity 
of conduct. Israel Benner's wife died September lo, 1873, but it was not 
until twenty years later that he himself was claimed by the "grim reaper," 
to whom all, sooner or later, must yield. This worthy couple had nine chil- 
dren, of whom eight are still living, and seven of these are residents of Han- 
cock county. 

J. H. Benner, one of the eldest sons, was born on his father's farm in 
Hancock county, Ohio, in 1850, and as he grew up learned to handle the 
tools used in the carpenter's trade. He proved an apt pupil, and after com- 
pleting his apprenticeship engaged regularly in all kinds of work embraced 
in the ocupation of a journeyman carpenter. He prospered, as did his 
father before him, and eventually was able to make some real estate inves- 
ments on his own account. His first purchase was in 1872, when he became 
owner of eighty acres of land in Union township, which he improved con- 
siderably during the next twelve years and in 1884 disposed of by sale. Being 
"footloose" for the time Mr. Benner concluded to travel and see some- 
thing of the great western country of which he had heard so much. Cer- 
tain influences drew him to the state of Kansas and, being pleased with the 
outlook, he invested in one hundred and sixty acres of land with a view of 
making his permanent home in that section. This was in 1885, and during 
the following twelve years Mr. Benner industriously cultivated his farm in 
Kansas, where agricultural conditions differed considerably from those with 
which he had been familiar in Ohio. He became popular while residing among 
the Kansans and was honored by his neighbors with elections as justice of the 
peace and clerk of the school board. After giving Kansas a fair trial, how- 
ever, ■Mr. Benner concluded that he liked Ohio better, and so in 1897 ^^^^ ^^^ 
him again eastward bound on his way to the place of his nativity. After 
returning to his old home he purchased the one hundred and sixty acres of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 543 

land in Union township which constitutes his present homestead and which 
he devotes to general farming and stock raising. He ranks well both as a 
farmer and business man, while all admit that in his line there is no better 
mechanic in the county than J. H. Benner. 

In 1870 he married Mary P., daughter of John C. and Elizabeth Smith, 
and the result of this union was an only son, whose birth occurred in 1871. 
This son, whose name is William S. Benner, grew to be an industrious and 
worthy man and is associated with, his father in cultivating the home farm. 
In 1890 he married Miss Mary Jackall, by whom he has had six children, 
and of these there are five living. The family are members of the ]\Iethodist 
Protestant church, in which the father holds the position of trustee. 

W. C. WEBSTER. 

The above named, who is one of the busy men of Hancock county, is 
owner and proprietor of a saw mill situated on the Sandusky road about 
three miles east of the city of Findlay, in Marion township. This mill was 
built by Mathew Giles Gillespie. It was burned in 1896, but was rebuilt in 
the same year. Mr. Webster manufactures common native lumber. His 
mill is of the modem variety, and has a capacity of 10,000 feet per day. The 
engine wdiich he uses for power is a machine of forty-five horse-power 
strength. Mr. Webster is a native of Franklin county, Ohio, where he was 
bom June 30, 1854. He passed the period of adolesence in his home county, 
receiving a good education in the common schools, where he was an apt and 
a progressive pupil, which fact accounts in part, at least, tor his superior 
business qualities. He has kept himself in touch wath the public affairs of 
his time and has held some of the township offices, having been clerk for a 
number of years betw^eeii 1875 and 1900. The married life of Mr. Web- 
ster dates from October, 1886, at which time he was joined in wedlock to 
Miss Clara L., the -daughter of H. C. and A. E. Cook, of Franklin county, 
Ohio. The union, which has been one of great felicity, has been blessed with 
five children, four of whom are now living : Abbie C, Edward C, Lucy M., 
and Cloyce C, the latter deceased. The mother of this family, Mrs. Clara 
L. Webster, was born in Franklin county, in 1854. The subject of this sketch 
is the son of Edward and Cornelia (Taylor) Webster. His father was a 
farmer, but died in early life, when his wife married :\Iathe\v Gillespie, a 
mechanic of ability. He followed milling extensively, at which he was an 
adept. Mr. and Mrs. Webster are looked upon as among the best citizens of 
Hancock county and are the center of a large circle of friends. 



544 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

FRANCIS M. LEWIS. ' 

The genllenian above mentioned is a representative of that class, not 
infrequently met with in the Ohio Valley, who literally cut his way to pros- 
perity with an ax. In other words he is one who started in the world with- 
out other capital than his health and strength, b.ut by dint of many hard blows 
and uns\ver\-ing perseverance eventually established for himself a comforta- 
ble home and accumulated a handsome property. It is self-made men of 
this kind, unpretentious and unassuming, who constitute the real strength of 
every community. They are the yeomanry who have done the hard work 
which converted the w-estern wilderness into a terrestrial paradise, and on 
them the state and nation always rely in their hour of trial. The Lewis fam- 
ily has been long resident in Hancock county and its members have ever been 
esteemed as among the most worthy citizens. George W. and Elizabeth (Roe) 
Lewis left their native state of Pennsylvania and made their way in 
1854 to Hancock county, of which they become pennanent residents.- George 
was an industrious man, saving of his means and steady of habit, and in the 
course of time established a comfortable home for himself and family. He 
enjoyed the good will of his neighbors and was one of the loyal citizens of 
Hancock county until his death, which occurred October 17, 1896, his wife 
still surviving at a venerable age arid enjoying increased esteem in the social 
circle to which she belongs. Of their sixteen children there are seven still 
living and four of these are residents of Hancock county. Among the latter 
is Francis M. Lewis, the subject of this sketch, who was born in Westmore- 
land c@unty, Pennsylvania, November 5, 1849. He had few school advant- 
ages in youth, owing to the necessity of working to assist his parents, and 
later to make his own living. I'or a number of years he "worked out," as 
the phrase goes, b}^ the day or month, but being sober, prudent and economical 
he managed to save his wages until they amounted to a sum large enough to 
enable him to make an investment on his own account. In 1878, therefore, 
he purchased his present farm of ninety acres in Big Lick township, which he 
proceeded to cultivate with energy, and by good management has converted 
it into a fine property. He devotes his place to what is called general farm- 
ing, that is, he raises the standard crops and sufficient stock to supply his own 
wants besides a small surplus for the market. September 27, 1874, ]\Ir. Lewis 
was united in marriage with IMary I\I., daughter of James and Rachel Cole, 
and his home life \\\i\\ this good woman was always pleasant and happy. 
From time to time their household was brightened by the advent of offspring 
until ten children surrounded the hearthstone. These, with the names and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 545 

dates of birth, are thus recorded in the family register: Raymond \\'., Au- 
gust 23, 1875; Lida R., December 6, 1876; Luhe D., November 13, 1878, 
now deceased; Phebe J., August 2, 1880; James R., January 2, 1882; Marion 
E., November 8, 1884; Frosa O., November 22, 1886; John B., December 
17, 1887; Lemuel J., May 29, 1889; Ralph M., September 20, 1892. The 
mother of this interesting family was l)orn in Delaware, May 20, 1851, and 
after a useful life as wife and mother passed peacefully to her final rest on 
June 18, 1894. Mr. Lewis has served his township in the offices of trustee, 
supervisor and school director and discharged his duties with such conscien- 
tious integrity as to gain the general esteem of his constituents. He is a con- 
sistent member of the United Brethren church and is a sample of that practical 
Christianity which carries the best precepts of religion into the affairs of every 
day life. Li other words he treats others a^ he would have them treat him, 
and this, after all, is the real substance of "the law and the prophets." As a 
man and citizen true to himself and others in all the relations of life, no one 
in Hancock county stands better than Francis M. Lewis. 

JOHN BRENNER. 

The agricultural element of Hancock county cannot be surpassed for 
their high character as loyal citizens, and one of the worthiest of their num- 
ber is John Brenner, who resides in Cass township, where he owns and cul- 
tivates a farm of two hundred and eighty-seven acres. His birth occurred 
in Washington township, October 12, 1846. His father, who wrote his 
name both as Mathews and Matthias Brenner, and his mother, Caroline 
Mauser, were natives of Germany, who emigrated to this country in 1838. 
Mathews or Matthias Brenner was born February 7, 181 1, and his wife four 
years later. In early life in his own country he learned the blacksmith trade, 
at which he worked with much success in the country of his adoption. ' He 
lived in various places, but finally settled in Stark county, Ohio, where he 
remained up to 1843, in. which year he settled in Washington township, 
purchasing thirty acres of land, twenty acres of which he cleared. As -he 
prospered he added to the original purchase, and at his death was in posses- 
sion of a farm of eighty acres, which he had brought to a very high state of 
cultivation and on which he had many handsome improveiiients. Mathews 
Brenner was a skilled mechanic, and a man of sound principles and a de- 
vout member of the Lutheran church, to which he gave a most liberal stip- 
port. He was possessed of more than average intelligence and, though pur- 
suing an exacting occupation in early life, had become master of several 



546 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

languages. His father was a justice of the peace in Germany, and being 
associated with him in business he succeeded in solving some perplexing 
questions in later life. He was a self made man in the true sense of that 
term. His wife died August 23, i8go, and after six years he passed away 
April 22, 1897. They had four children: Rosanna, deceased, Mary, John 
and Caroline, deceased. 

John Brenner, the onh^ member of the family living in Hancock county, 
received his early training in the district school of Cass township and passed 
his boyhood without incident of importance. He fitted himself for 
teaching in the Findlay high school, and was one of the successful teachers 
of the county for thirteen years. His early training, liowever, and his 
natural tastes made the monotony of the school room irksome, and he 
abandoned that calling for the farm. In 1874 he bought sixty-four acres, in 
1879 added forty more, and on this farm he has placed many improve- 
ments. In 1887 he built a fine barn for his stock and produce and in 1893 
erected a commodious and comfortably situated house, which improvements 
add much to the general appearance of the farm. Politically Mr. Brenner 
favors the Democracy and was twice elected clerk of the township by his 
party, besides receiving the appointment of a census enumerator of his dis- 
trict in 1880. In 1897 he received the nomination on the Democratic ticket 
as candidate for county commissioner, but although making a gallant race 
he was unsuccessful. He is a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal 
church, in which he has always been a very active worker, having been for 
a number of years a class leader and trustee. In 1872 Mr. Brenner was 
married to Miss Mary Ann, daughter of Gottleib and Mary Meyers, who 
was born in Washington township, April 27, 1848. She is a woman of 
estimable character, and has been an excellent mother to her five children : 
William H., Sara Ella, Ida Mae, John W., deceased, and Treva Nettie. 

Mr. and Mrs. Brenner are popular and respected residents of their 
community, and their standing is such in the county as to merit their men- 
tion in a volume devoted to the representative citizens of Hancock. 

LEVI STAHL. 

The above named representative farmer of Hancock county resides in 
]Marion township on a well tilled farm of eighty acres, upon which is situ- 
ated a valuable gas well. He was born in Westmoreland county. Pennsyl- 
vania, January 8, 1855, was reared and educated in his native locality and 
bad the usual experiences of the average farmer's boy. At the age of twenty 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 547 

he left home and began Hfe for himself in Wood county, Ohio, where he 
continued his agricultural labors for two years, and in 1877 came for the 
first time to Hancock county. After remaining three years he returned to 
Wood county, but in 1891 became a permanent resident of Hancock county. 
In the year mentioned he purchased the farm on which he now resides and 
.since then has been engaged in general farming and stock raising. Mr. 
vStahl takes an active interest in the educational affairs of his community, 
and was at one time a member of the school board of the second district. 
May 27, 1877, he married Ella A., a daughter of A. T. and Margaret Mason 
and six children have come to give joy to their home: — George B. ; Alta E. ; 
Orville A. ; Zella G. ; K. L. ; and Charles B. Mrs. Stahl was born in Fair- 
field county, Ohio, on the 17th of October, 1854. and is a working member 
of the Lutheran denomination. Her father was a man of influence in the 
community, and established a reputation as a skilled mechanic. Indeed, he 
was one of those natural geniuses to whom are due many of the inventions 
of the day. The parents of Mr. Stahl were William and Manah Stahl, 
natives of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, from which section they 
removed a number of years subsequent to the departure of their son Levi. 
They now reside in Cass township, this county. They reared a family of 
nine children. 

JOSEPH STOFFEL. 

This representative of the farming interests of Hancock county is a resi- 
dent of Washington township, where he owns and operates a farm of eighty 
acres, which he devotes to general farming. His birth occurred at Tiffin, 
Ohio, June 21, 1856. His parents, Peter and Margaret Stoffel, were na- 
tives of Germany, who emigrated to this country in 1852. They located in 
Tiffin, Ohio, where he engaged successfully in various occupations, but sub- 
sequently became an employe of a railroad company and removed his resi- 
dence to Findlay, about 1861. Here he remained until his death in 188^, his 



good wife's death having occurred in 1879. Of their three children, the 
eldest was born in Germany and the subject of this sketch is the only surviv- 
ing member of the family. He was reared and educated in the city of Find- 
lay, in wdiose schools he received his elementai*y education. The period of 
3'^outh was spent in teaming and general w'ork for his father. Upon coming 
to maturity in 1887 he purchased from Jacob Wiseman his present farm, 
and has since been very successful in its cultivation. He chose for a life com- 
panion Mary C, daughter of Isaac and Julia Wolf, to whom he was mar- 



548 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

ried in October, 1889. She was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, 
March 18, 1856, and her parents on both sides were of Dutch descent. They 
were a patriotic people, of good and upright principles, whose children fill 
their various roles in life with credit. One of Mrs. Stoffel's brothers is a 
prominent physician of Washington county, Pennsylvania. The Wolfs on 
the maternal side are a family of great longevity, Mrs. Stoffel's grand- 
mother having lived to be ninety-two years of age. She had reared eleven 
children, and for over sixty years no death had occurred in the family. 
Mrs. Stoffel is an educated lady, who has inherited the pride and prin- 
ciples of her ancestors, and Mr. Stoffel is a gentleman who receives and 
merits the good wishes of a large circle of friends in his community. Their 
marriage resulted in the birth of three children, George, Susan and an in- 
fant unnamed. 

CONRAD SHERMAN. 

The farming element of Hancock county has a w^orthy representative in 
the gentleman whose name is above presented. He lives in Washington town- 
ship, where he cultivates a farm of eighty acres and belongs to an old and 
liighly respected family, whose descendants have acquitted themselves well 
in their respective spheres. Conrad is a son of Adam and Margaret (Powell) 
Sherman. The former was born in Baltimore county, Maryland, in 1803. 
The mother is a native of Eagle township, Hancock county, and belongs to 
the prominent family of Powells wdio came to this county at an early date, 
and whose history is elsewhere given in this book. Adam Sherman removed 
to this county in 1833, where he entered one hundred and twenty acres of 
virgin forest in Washington township. Here he passed the remainder of 
his days and established a reputation of being an honest, industrious man, who 
believed always in carrying out the injunction of the Golden Rule. He and 
liis family were consistent members and earnest supporters of the Lutheran 
church. The father died at a comparatively early age, in 1854, leaving two 
children, Laura J. and Conrad. The paternal grandparents of our subject 
were Conrad and Catherine Sherman, alo natives of Baltimore county, 
Maryland. The great-grandparents, also named Conrad and Catherine, 
^vere natives of the same county in Maryland. The Shermans are of Swiss 
extraction on the paternal side. The maternal great-great-grandfather w^as 
Leonard Sabel, and his son, of the same name, married Catherine Witter. 

Conrad Sherman, the immediate subject of this sketch, was born in 
Washington township, Llancock county, Ohio, September 25, 1853, passed 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 549 

his boyhood and youth in the pleasures and occupations of the farm, and re- 
ceived in the common schools an excellent education, which was tempered 
by the refining influences of a good home. Upon arriving at maturity he 
followed in the footsteps of his progenitors and adopted agricultural pur- 
suits. He owns eighty acres of land purchased in 1890, which he devotes 
to general farmmg, and on which he uses the most modern methods and 
machinery. The most interesting event in his life occurred April 8, 1880, 
when he set up a domestic establishment of his own and called Miss Ella 
Pepple to preside over the same. Mrs. Sherman is the daughter of John and 
Mary Pepple, and a native of Cass township, bom November 2, 1859. Her 
grandparents who were from Bedford county, Pennsylvania, settled in Col- 
umbiana county, Ohio, in 1820, and later came to Hancock county. Further 
information about this worthy couple will be found under the sketch of Eli 
. W. Pepple, on another page of this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Sherman have 
four children, of whom Donald Conroy, born Januar>^ 10, 1901, is the only 
one living, the deceased being Beatrice, Dwight L. and Dewey D. 

As members of families which have been intimately and honorably as- 
sociated with the advancement and development of Hancock county, Mr. and 
Airs. Shennan are entitled to and with pleasure accorded to place in this 
^•olume of biography. 

TOBIA G. BARNHILL, M. D. 

During his professional career at Findlay Dr. Barnhill has met with 
gratifying success and won the good will and patronage of many of the lead- 
ing citizens and families of the place. He is a great student and nedeavors 
to keep abreast of the times in everything relating to discoveries in medical 
science. Though progressive in his ideas and favoring modern methods 
he does not dispense with the true and tried systems which have stood the 
test of years. 

Dr. Barnhill was born in Wayne county, Ohio, May 5, 1851, but when 
two years of age was brought by his parents to Hancock county, where he 
has ever since made his home. His elementary education was received in 
the public schools of Findlay, and after completing his term therein he took 
up the profession of teaching, which he followed in Hancock county from 
1869 until 1 87 1. Desiring to enter upon the practice of medicine, he aban- 
doned the work of the schoolroom in order that he might give his entire at- 
tention to the study of the healing art, and in 1873 he graduated at the Cleve- 
land Homeopathic Hospital College. March 4, 1873. he embarked in the 



550 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

practice of medicine at Findlay, where his skill and ability soon became 
recognized and he now enjoys a large and lucrative practice. In 1895 he 
established the Barnhill Sanitarium, which is now as thoroughly equipped 
as any institution of its kind in the world. For the past eighteen years Dr. 
Barnhill has thoroughly studied the various uses of electricity, and the elec- 
trical appliances in his large sanitarium are now complete in all respects. 
The institution also contains two large parlors, where patients can visit their 
friends, is steam heated and electric lighted, and has all the modern con- 
\eniences for the comfort of the patients. Devotional e:jvercises are held in 
the sanitarium parlors every morning at eight o'clock, to which friends of 
the institution are invited. 

Dr. Barnhill is a member of the Ohio State Homeopathic Medical So- 
ciety, the Northwestern Homeopathical Medical Association and the Ameri- 
can Institute of Homeopathy. He has twice served as president of the state 
society and has also held the position of censor therein. For three terms 
he has served as coroner of Flancock county, and for eleven years he held the 
position of county physician. He is also a member of the Odd Fellows fra- 
ternity and the Tribe of Ben Hur. The Doctor's long professional career 
has been attended with marked success. His promptness, his sympathetic 
nature and his generosity are well known factors in his make-up, and those 
who have known him longest esteem him most highly. 

CYRUS L. CASTERLINE. 

As a member of the Bradford Oil Company of Findlay, Cyrus L. Cas- 
terline has been connected with the development of what has become one 
of the leading industries and a great source of wealth to this part of the state. 
His position in business circles is a creditable one. A native of the Empire 
state, he was born in Angelica, in 1851, and was there reared and educated, 
attending the public schools and acquiring thereby knowledge that well fitted 
him for the responsible duties of his subsequent career. At the age of 
twenty-five he left his native town and in 1876 went to the oil fields in the 
vicinity of Bradford, Pennsylvania, where he remained until he came to 
Findlay, since which time he has made his home in this place. He is inter- 
ested in the development of the oil belt here and is an active working mem- 
ber of the Bradford Oil Company, which owns some good producing and 
valuable wells. 

In 1900 Mr. Casterline was appointed by Charles E. Watson, mayor of 
Findlay, a member of the city board of improvements and is now serving 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 55 1 

in that capacity. He takes deep interest in the progress and welfare of the 
city and is using his official position to further every measure which he be- 
lieves will contribute to the general good. In his political views he is a Re- 
publican, always voting for the candidate of the party and never faltering 
in his allegiance to the party principles. Fraternally he is associated with the 
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and with the Knights of Pythias 
fraternity. He is a progressive, wide awake, enterprising business man, a 
valued addition to the community, and in Findlay he has gained many 
friends who recognize his business and social worth. 

HENRY F. WINDERS. 

In the business circles of Findlay Henry F. Winders has become an 
important factor. Reliability in all trade transactions, loyalty to all the duties 
of citizenship, fidelity in the discharge of every trust reposed in him have 
been his chief characteristics, and through the passing years they have 
gained for him the unqualified confidence and respect of his fellow towns- 
men. He is also public-spirited and thoroughly interested in whatever tends 
to promote the moral, intellectual and material welfare of Findlay, and for 
many years he has been numbered among its honored citizens. 

The birth of Mr. Winders occurred in Fairfield county, Ohio, on the 
2d of May, 1831, and he is a son of John and Elizabeth (Paden) Winders. 
The former was born in Shenandoah county, Virginia, where he was a mem- 
ber of an old and prominent family. The mother was a daughter of John 
and Sidney Paden, who were natives of Ireland, but came to this country in 
181 5 and settled in Fairfield county, Ohio. When but a lad Henry F. \\'in- 
ders was apprenticed to his uncle, T. B. C. Paden, who conducted a mer- 
cantile store in New Salem, Ohio, and when twenty-one years of age he em- 
barked in the dry goods business on his own account in that city, which occu- 
pation he continued until 1859 and then took up agricultural pursuits. In 
1 861 he came to Findlay and for the succeeding four years sold goods for 
Patterson & Taylor, after which he again embarked in business for himself. 
His efforts in the mercantile world have been crowned with success, and he is 
now recognized as one of the leading business men of Findlay. 

June 22, 1854, in Fairfield county, Ohio, occurred the marriage of Mr. 
Winders and Miss Araminta S., daughter of Judge Wiseman, of Perry coun- 
ty, Ohio, and unto this union have been born two children, a daughter and a 
son, the former, Susie, being the wife of Thomas Frazer, a druggist of Find- 
lay. The son, John, who is associated with his father in business, married 



552 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Miss Ella Crooks, of Massillon, this state, and they have one ton, Henry. Mr. 
Winders has held membership in the Methodist Episcopal church since his 
fifteenth year, has long served as one of its officials, and for over twenty- 
three years has been Sunday-school superintendent. For a period of over 
thirty years he has also been a member of the old and honored order of 
Masons. Though he has always avoided public office, he has served with 
credit in the city council and as a member of the school board of Findlay. 
In addition to his extensive mercantile connections he has also been iden- 
tified with many of the industries of this city and has contributed toward 
the development of many of its important manufacturing and other inter- 
ests. His political sympathies are with the Republican party. 

PARLEE MITCHELL. 

Hancock county oil fields have attracted a great many men from other 
occupations and other parts of the state. This has been the means of building 
up Findlay as much as the farms for which the surrounding country is also 
famous. 

Mr. Mitchell is of Ohio pioneer stock, his grandfather George INIitchell 
having been born in Beln]ont county in 1801 ; he was a farmer all his life, and 
died at the ripe age of ninety-one years. His father is Jacob Mitchell, a farmer 
of Hancock county, who was born in 1839. Ii^ 1862, Jacob Mitchell enlisted 
in Company F, Twenty-first Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, as a pri- 
vate, and served three years. He is now one of the county infirmary directors. 
Parlee Mitchell was born on a farm in Portage towiiship, this county, Febru- 
ary 10, 1872, in which township he lived and received his education until he 
was twenty-four years of age, when he moved to Findley, and went im- 
mediately into the oil fields. He began where so many who have succeeded 
have begun, as a punjper, and rose through all the grades of the 
industry, until he became a producer on his own account. He purchased the 
old livery stable on the corner of Main and Larkins streets, together with its 
contents, then the largest livery on this side of the bridge. Mr. Mitchell put 
new stock into his stable, so that now it is first-class in every respect. Mr. 
Mitchell was married in 1899 to Jennie, daughter of R. W. Boyd. 

The Democratic party claims his allegiance, and he has served his city as 
a representative of that party, holding the office of city councilman. That he 
is popular is evidenced by the fact that he was elected from the first ward 
by a majority of eighty-three, which ward is a Republican stronghold, having 
had as high as one hundred and t\\'enty-three majority. Mr. Mitchell was 
first elected in 1901, and is still serving. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 5 53 

HENRY WILTS BROWN. 

The family of this name, so long conspicuous at Findlay, originated 
in New York, but has been identified with Ohio for over half a century. 
Oliver Brown, one of the ancestors, took part in the Revolutionary war as 
a soldier in one of the New York regiments, and it was his son and name- 
sake who became the grandfather of the subject of this sketch. He lived and 
ended his days in New York, and reared a family which included a son named 
Henry. The latter was born in Albion, New York, in 1825, and came to 
Findlay, Ohio, in 1848. Two years after arriving he was admitted to the 
bar at Findlay, and practiced law there until his death in 1893. He was an 
able criminal lawyer and rose to prominence in the profession, besides be- 
coming a leader in politics. He was elected to the offices of auditor and 
prosecuting attorney of Hancock county, and at one time represented it 
as a member of the state legislature. His son, Henry Wilts Brown, was 
born at Findlay, Ohio, February 14, 1863, and remained at home attend- 
ing school until the age of seventeen. In 1880 he went to the west and spent 
several years traveling through Colorado, New Mexico and other sections, 
during which time he acquired a knowledge of the "art preservative," more 
vulgarly known as the printer's trade. While on his western tour Mr. Brown 
got hold of a paper at Meade, Kansas, which he conducted from 1884 until 
1889, and then concluded to abandon the west for more inviting fields. In 
1890 he returned to Findlay and started the Union, a weekly Democratic 
paper, whose publication and management have since occupied his time and 
attention. He is both editor and proprietor of the paper and makes it a 
strong and conservative exponent of Democratic principles, also paying con- 
siderable attention to the industrial interests and whatever adds to the life 
and development of the community. 

RALPH D. COLE. 

This gentleman, at present a practicing attorney at Findlay, is one of 
the most prominent men of his age in the county. Though less than thirty, 
he has held the position of clerk of the courts and represented Hancock 
county in the legislature, the latter honor being achieved in the twenty-sixth 
year of his age. The family originated in Delaware, but sent representa- 
tives among the first pioneers of Ohio and thus became identified with the 
state at a very early period. Harry Cole, grandfather of Ralph D., came 
from Delaware early . in the nineteenth century and settled in Ashland 



554 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

county. There, in 1821, his son, John W. Cole, was born and there he grew 
up and cukivated a farm until about i860, when he came to Hancock county. 
Ralph D. Cole, son of the last mentioned, was born on his father's farm 
in Big Lick township, Hancock county, Ohio, November 30, 1873. He 
was reared on the farm, attended the country schools and later entered 
Findlay College, where he was graduated in the class of 1896. After leaving 
college he taught in the Hancock county schools for two years, meantime 
studying law in his leisure moments, and in September, 1897, he received 
the appointment as clerk of the courts of Hancock county. He held this 
l^iosition until July, 1899, and in September following was nominated on 
the Republican ticket as a candidate for representative in the legislature from 
Hancock county. At the ensuing election in November he was successful 
at the polls, and served out his term satisfactorily. In December, 1900, Mr. 
Cole was admitted to the bar, and has since been engaged in the practice of 
his profession at Findlay. 

:, '. / ELI W. PEPPLE. 

The above named representative agriculturist resides in Cass township 
on a well cultivated farm which lies in the oil belt of Hancock county, and 
therefore adds that element of material worth to its general value. He is 
the son of John and Mary (Groner) Pepple, natives of Pennsylvania, who 
settled in Hancock county in 1847, after previously residing for some time 
in Columbiana county. The father of Mrs. Pepple had entered two hundred 
acres of unimproved land, and of this he gave his daughter sixty-six and two- 
thirds acres. Afterward John Pepple bought the same amount of land ad- 
joining that of his wife on the east, which was also a part of her father's 
entry. Improvements were made on these farms, and in 1865 John Pepple 
bought forty acres additional, on which there were also some improvements. 
These forty acres lie along the public highway, north of Mrs. Pepple's land, 
and to this place the family moved in the spring of 1865, where Mr. and 
Mrs. Pepple continued to reside until their deaths. John Pepple was a prac- 
tical and industrious farmer. He had considerable influence in the town- 
ship among his fellow citizens, who by a popular vote elected him to the 
office of township trustee. He also served fourteen terms as township treas- 
urer and a number of years as school director. He was a devout member 
of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he served as a class leader and 
steward. He stood well in the church, in society and in the political field, 
always true to his faith and to his convictions. He had eight children, seven 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 555 

of whom grew to maturity, and six of the number still survive. He was 
born March 18, 1819, and died March 1, 1897. His wife was born May 
17, 1825, and died May 7, 1891, 

Eli W. Pepple was born in Morrow, formerly Delaware county, Ohio, 
April 26, 1847. He was an infant when brought to this county by his par- 
ents. He passed the days of his boyhood and youth in the pleasures and 
pastimes peculiar to his day, doing his share of the farm labor, and there 
laying the foundation of that excellent health which has attended him 
through life. Besides the ordinary branches taught in the district school, 
he further added to his literary education by a course in the Findlay high 
school, where he fitted himself for teaching. Mr. Pepple followed this pro- 
fession with much success for fifteen years, teaching in the winter and help- 
ing to conduct the farm in the summer. In 1872 he concluded that ''the 
best part of valor is discretion," so to speak, and he surrendered to the graces 
of Miss Sarah A. Draper, the marriage occurring December 17, 1872. Mrs. 
Pepple was a daughter of W. L. and Louisa (Supply) Draper, and she died 
January 28. 1888, after becoming the mother of three children: Mary L. ; 
Carl, deceased; and Dodie W. December 25, 1889, Mr. Pepple was mar- 
ried to ]\Iiss Sarah J., daughter of Robert and Eliza A. McKee. Mrs. Pep- 
ple's family are natives of the Keystone state, she having been born in Alle- 
gheny county in October, 1842. She is an accomplished lady who in former 
years was a successful and popular school teacher in Hancock county, and 
has a half interest in a nice farm property of eighty acres in her own right 
in the northeastern part of Cass township. Mr. Pepple moved to his pres- 
ent farm in 1879, where he has since resided. He is as popular with the 
people as was his father before him, and is fully as stanch in upholding Re- 
publican principles. He has held the office of township clerk for a con- 
tinuous period of twenty years, and was re-elected in 1902 for two years 
more, besides holding the office of supervisor and school director. He and 
his good wife are honored members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and 
are leaders of thought and movement in their part of Hancock county. 

SORELY LARKINS. 

Sorely Larkins, a resident farmer of Allen township, owning and op- 
erating a farm of eighty acres of valuable land, was born in Findlay in 1861. 
He is the son of John and Elizabeth (Meyers) Larkins, the former a na- 
tive of Tuscarawas county, Ohio, and the latter of Switzerland. John 
Larkins came to this county in 1843, located in Findlay and pursued his trade 



5 56 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL LIISTORY 

as a stone cutter in partnership with his brother Samuel, under the firm name 
of Larkins Brothers. John was a veteran of the Civil war and proved 
himself equal to the emergency as a member of Company I, One Hundred 
and Ninety-second Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, being honorably 
discharged at the close of hostilities. He served as trustee of Findlay town- 
ship and was a member of the Knights of Honor. In 1894 he purchased 
forty acres of the farm upon which Sorely, his son, now lives, and to which 
the latter added forty more acres. His family numbered five children, of 
whom Sorely is the only survivor. John Larkins died October 26, 1900, 
and his wife's death occurred October 18, 1886. 

Our subject was reared and educated in Findlay, and in early life be- 
gan the career of a farmer, which vocation he has followed with success up 
to the present time. August 21, 1884, he was united in marriage to Miss 
Ella, daughter of Ganett and Mary Harkness, who was born in Allen town- 
ship, Hancock county, Ohio, October 13, i860. No children have been 
born to this union. In 1894 Mr. and Mrs. Larkins removed to their present 
home, where he enjoys the full confidence of his fellow citizens. He is a 
young man full of promise, and his future looks remarkably bright. 

JACOB BOWERS. 

A prominent family which has had connection with Hancock county for 
seven decades is represented by the above named gentleman, who resides in 
Big Lick township on a farm of seventy-seven acres. His parents removed to 
Ohio from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, of which they were both natives. His 
father's name was Samuel Bowers, his mother's maiden name being Mary 
Rangier. Their respective families had removed to Ohio and located in 
Stark county, where they were married and in 1836 settled in Hancock 
county on one hundred and twenty acres of land which Jacob Bowers, the 
father, had previously entered. This original farm was improved, and in 
i860 the farm which is now the property of his son Jacob was purchased. 
Samuel Bowers was one of those easy-going men of large heart, whose word 
could be relied upon at all times. He and his wife were consistent mem- 
bers of the Dunkard church to the time of their deaths, that of the father 
occurring in 1895 and of the mother two years later. They reared a family 
of eleven children, eight of whom are now living. 

Jacob Bowers, the immediate subject of this sketch, was born in Big 
Lick township, Hancock county, Ohio, in 1841. He passed through the 
uneventful experience of a country boy, while laying the foundation of a. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 5 57 

character which has been revered among his associates for its many excehen- 
cies during his hfetime. He chose agricuUure as his occupation, and has 
been engaged in it during the whole of his adult life, owning his present farm 
since 1876. Mr. Bowers has been twace married. His first marriage w^as 
to Miss Sara Shubert and occurred in 1S66. She was born in Seneca county, 
Ohio, and died in 1884, after becoming the mother of three children : Augusta 
M.; J. W., deceased; and Alma S. The following year Mr. Bowers married 
Tvliss Lydia Stecker, a union which was followed by no issue. Mr. and Mrs. 
Bowers are consistent members of the United Brethren church. John 
W. Bowers, the second child by the first marriage, was a young man of great 
promise, having been educated for the life of a teacher, and at the time of 
his death was regarded as a very successful member of that profession in 
Hancock county. He w'as exceedingly active in the work of the church, of 
which he was a most worthy member, and his death cast a gloom over a 
large circle of friends and acquaintances in Hancock county. Mr. Bowers 
has a large circle of friends, having many qualities which commend him 
to the good will and high regard of those wdth whom he is associated. For 
more than seventy years his family has been identified with Hancock county, 
and its members have ever been active in supporting measures wdiich prom- 
ised to contribute to the substantial upbuilding and material development 
of the county or state. 

E. W. HALE. 

The descendants of pioneers in Ohio are among the leading citizens of 
to-day in every walk of life, and this is especially true of the sons of farm- 
ers, themselves pioneers in all but actual proprietorship of the land, who 
helped to clear primitive farms and put them under cultivation, and who, 
coming to the state in boyhood, or even younger, have witnessed the whole 
process of development from the day of small but significant things to the 
fruition of efforts wdiich characterizes the state as one of the foremost in 
the Union at this time. Such a citizen is Mr. E. W. Hale, some account 
of whose interesting antecedents and worthy achie\'ements will now be at- 
tempted. 

The grandfather of our subject was Randal Hale, one of the pioneers 
of Hancock county. He was a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and there 
he married Ann Taylor, also a native of that city, and a full cousin to Presi- 
dent Zachary Taylor. The Taylors were wealthy planters of Maryland 
and owned a number of slaves, some of which were inherited by our sub- 



5 5^ CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

ject's grandmother, who, when she reached her majority, gave them their 
freedom, an event which in that day created very great interest and brought 
down upon her the criticism of the slave-holding element. Randal Hale 
and his wife were married in Baltimore, and removed to Jefferson county, 
Ohio, about 17Q6, where they reared a family of eight children, all of whom 
grew to maturity. In that county Randal Hale owned one hundred and 
sixty acres of land, but, foreseeing the need of provision for his large family 
while there was plenty of new land in the state, he in 1832 removed to Seneca 
county, locating for a short time in what is now Fostoria. He remained 
there, however, but a short period, when he removed to Hancock county, 
where he entered eight quarter sections of land, one for each of his children, 
and of these four were in Washington township and two across the line 
in Wood county. Randal Hale was a blacksmith by trade, and an excellent 
mechanic in his day. He was a man of temperate habits, and opposed to 
the use of intoxicating drink. He was a kind husband, a loyal citizen and 
loving father. During his life he was a meniber with his wife of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal ciiurch, and they were instrumental in that early day in graft- 
ing Methodism well into the institutions and society of the county. In politi- 
cal affiliations he was a supporter of the Whig party. His death occurred in 
1849, that of the wife five years later. The sons succeeded the father and 
became useful citizens of Hancock county. One of these sons was Isaac 
T., father of the gentleman whose name heads this paragraph, who was born 
in Jefferson county. Ohio, in 1820. He followed agricultural pursuits and 
was counted a man well versed in the farming industry. He was a man of 
truth and uprightness, and left his impress on the social life of the com- 
munity for good. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
He married Miss Alpha, daughter of Elijah McRill, in 1841, and to them 
were born a family of eight children, four of whom still survive: E. W., 
R. B., M. E. and Eliza. The mother of the family died May 27, 1884, and 
Isaac T. departed this life June 10, 1901. 

E. W. Hale was born in Washington township, on the farm which he 
now operates, the date being April 8, 1853. He was reared and educated 
in his native township, receiving an excellent elementary education. After 
he left school he turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, and with the 
exception of seven years spent in the manufacture of tile he has confined 
himself to farming. He is now operating the old homestead of one hundred 
and fifty-live acres of choice land. Upon this farm his father caused to be 
built a large and commodious brick house in 1875. I1ie other buildings were 
erected by him also, all of them constituting very handsome improvements. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 559 

The marriage of Mr. E; W. Hale occurred in 1882, the lady being Miss Laura 
Boyles, a native of West Virginia. Two children were bom, Allie and J- 
Hale. Mr. and Mrs. Hale are active members of the Methodist Episcopal 
church, and are held in the highest esteem by the citizens of the county among 
whom they reside. 

Russell B. Hale, a deceased son of Isaac T. Hale, had a notable war rec- 
ord. On the breaking out of the Civil war he enlisted in Company H, 
Forty-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Army of the Potomac. He was 
chosen color bearer on account of his great height, six feet six inches. In 
this position he gallantly bore Old Glory until his health broke down in 

1862, and he was sent to the hospital for treatment. Here he was very im- 
properly cared for, and was in danger of losing his life, when he was finally 
discharged and returned home, where he was nursed back to health by his 
family. He re-enlisted in the Eighty-sixtli Ohio Volunteer Infantry in 

1863, in which command he served eleven months, when he was honorably 
discharg'ed. Again taking up the cause of the old ilag, he re-enlisted, this 
time in his old regiment, in which organization he served until the close of 
the war, again b.eing honoral^ly discharged. His decease occurred in 1868. 

A. H. CLYMER, Sr. 

A. H. Clymer, Sr., is a representative of honored pioneers of this great 
commonwealth, and he has won for himself a prominent place among the 
leading horticulturists of Hancock county. He is a native son of E^nion 
township, this county, where his birth occurred on the ist of January, 1866. 
His paternal grandparents, h'rancis and Susan Clymer, removed from Fair- 
field county, Ohio, to Union township in 1834, where the father entered 
from the government one hundred and sixty acres of timber land, and this 
he cleared and improved and subsequently added to until his landed possess- 
ions were quite extensive. He afterward, however, divided his property 
among his children. C. F. Clymer, a son of this worthy old pioneer couple, 
and the father of our subject, was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, and he, 
too, followed the tilling of the soil as a life occupation. By his marriage 
to Mary M. Sigefuss, a native of Franklin county, Ohio, he became the 
father of five children, three of whom are now living, but our subject is the 
only representative of the family in Hancock county. C. F. Clymer was 
called to his final rest in 1878, but he is still survived by his widow. 

A. H. Clymer, Sr., of this review, was reared in the township of his 
nativity, and in its public schools received his early mental training, there 



56o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPEIICAL HISTORY 

fitting himself for his future Hfe of usefuhiess. He remained on the old 
parental homestead until he \Aas married, and in the following year, 1886, 
purchased of the remaining heirs the home farm, where he is now extensively 
engaged in horticultural pursuits. His farm consists of fifty acres, on which 
he has planted one thousand six hundred peach trees, which have been se- 
lected with great care from the best stock and consist of different varieties. 
He also cultivates one hundred plum trees, the fruit being of rare beauty 
and Mavor, he has one hundred cnerry trees, while his fifty pear trees, of 
the finest and choicest varieties, are in bearing from the early summer until 
late in the autumn. All his fruit finds a ready sale and commands the high- 
est market price. In addition to the larger fruits Mr. Clymer also raises all 
kinds of berries, with the exception of strawberries, the soil of this locality 
not being adapted to the production of that commodity. 

]n 1885 ]Mr. Clymer was united in marriage to Miss Mary A. Reese, 
who \^•as born in Liberty township, Hancock county, Ohio, on the 5th of 
April, 1867, and she is a daughter of Jacob and Rebecca Reese. Three 
children haAC come to brighten and bless this home: Mamie, wdio was 
born January 9, 1888; Bernice, born March 30, 1890; and Lester, born 
April 25, 1895. Both Mr. and Mrs. Clymer are members of the Evangeli- 
cal church of Benton Ridge, and they are also connected with the Daughters 
of America. Mr. Clymer affiliates with the Junior Order of United Amer- 
ican Mechanics. Honor and integrity are synonymous with his name, and 
he enjoys the respect, confidence and high regard of the community. 

JOHN H. CROSS. 

John H. Cross is one of the prominent retired farmers of Hancock coun- 
ty, and after a life of active industry he has earned a competence which en- 
ables him to rest and enjoy the comforts of the world unalloyed by the dis- 
turbing cares of business. His parents were George and Mary M. (Smaltz) 
Cross, the former born in Maryland and the latter a native of Fairfield 
county, Ohio. They came to Hancock county in 1839 and located on Lime- 
stone Ridge, where they entered eighty acres of government land and bought 
two other eighties at second hand. George Cross was a practical farmer 
and a man of influence and ability; he served as trustee of the township for 
several years. His death occurred in October, 1865, but his wife survived 
until August. 1898. They had a family of seven children, of whom four are 
now living. 

John H. was born in Fairfield county on the 17th of December, 1832, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 561 

and was, therefore, but seven years of age when he was brought by his par- 
ents to this county. He received his education in the common schools and 
remained at home until his majority, learning all that goes to make up the 
pursuit of a farmer. He confined himself to this calling until his retirement 
a few years ago, and he now resides in Vanlue, in which town he has served 
in the responsible position of mayor for two years. He has also been coun- 
cilman and was constable of the township for twelve years. He is a mem- 
ber of the United Brethren church, and has been one of its trustees for 
twenty-one years. He has always given the strength of his influence to the 
side of right and progress and is to-day one of the worthy citizens of his 
community. 

In 1853 Mr. Cross became the husband of Miss Catherine Shoop, and 
four children were born to them, two of whom are living, Thomas M. and 
Clement L. Cross. Catherine Cross died in 1894. In November, 1899, 
Mr. Cross was again married, to Miss Lucinda M. Piper, who was born in 
Canada June 19, 1859, the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth J. Piper. 
Thomas Piper was a man of large business abilities and was a resident of 
Hamilton, Canada, for fifty years; he was the owner of several vessels which 
plied between the port of Ontario and ports of the United States. He was 
also a large property owner in the States and in Canada, and owned and lived 
on a large fruit plantation in Knoxville, Virginia, for a few years. The 
Pipers are one of the first families of Canada and Rev. F. C. Piper, the 
broth'^"- of Mrs. Cross, is the Episcopal minister at Hamilton. 

H. D. SWANK. 

It is well that not all the old settlers have been called to their final re- 
ward, if for no other reason than tiiat we may understand the true caliber of 
those hardy veterans of toil who made the middle west the center of the 
commercial empire of the world. They are a truly remarkable class of 
men, inured to hardship and experienced in a mode of life which will never 
have its like in this country again, for while the twentieth century will be 
brilliant with all the glory of modern invention and wonderful scientific 
achievement and progress, the nineteenth was the real age of development 
of the material resources of the country, and prepared for that which was 
to come. Foj- over seventy years H. D. Swank has been a living witness 
of this advance, and he is certainly worthy of some recognition in the his- 
torical annals of the men of Hancock county, Ohio. 

Grandfather Swank, who founded the familv in America, was born in 



562 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

German}-, so that on one side of the house there is good German blood. His 
son was Christian Swank, and was born in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, 
where he was reared and learned the trade of blacksmith. When he was in 
young manhood he came to Richland county, Ohio, and was the village 
blacksmith of the community for some years, l)ut he later came to Knox 
county and entered some land in Pike township; he cleared and improved 
this land and at the same time attended to the needs of his neighbors by set- 
ting up a shop on his land, in wdiich he shod horses and did all the black- 
smithing for the country. He lived on this place until his death, the span 
of his life having covered the long period from 1791 to 1869; during this 
time he had been a firm adherent of the Democratic party. His wife, who 
was of Irish descent, was Susanna Downing, who was born in 1800 and 
died in 1856. They had three daugliters and two sons: Eliza is deceased; 
George and Henry D. are the sons ; Mary is deceased ; while the remaining 
daughter is Susanna. 

Henry was born on his father's place in Pike township, Knox county, 
on April 9, 1827, and remained in this county until he had reached years of 
manhood. He has a vivid recollection of the old log schoolhouse in wdiich 
his early education was obtained, tlie days of schooling being frequently 
punctured by the hard labor of the farm. On becoming of age he found for 
himself a wife and on January 13, 1849, he took up his residence in Orange 
township, Hancock county. The place was in the midst of the woods, and 
the first house which he built for the shelter of his family was made of 
round, unhewn logs, not a place for the physical comfort he would have 
desired, but it was the scene of some of the happiest hours of his life. He 
lived in this for some years and devoted himself to clearing the farm 
and raising general farm products. He still owns the farm of one 
hundred and eight acres, and has so improved it that one would hardly recog- 
nize it as the former place. As one of the old settlers Mr. Swank has borne 
his part in the affairs of the township, having served as one of the trustees. 
He has always voted for the candidates of the Republican party, and he and 
his wife have been members of the Disciples church, in which he was deacon. 

Mr. Swank and Miss Nancy Dilts were married May 11, 1848. She 
was born in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, December 11, 1823, and her 
father, William, was a native of the same state; he was a farmer and in 1826 
came to Knox county. Ohio, but he later removed to Iowa, where he died in 
his eighty-second year. Her mother, INIargaret Killerman. was a native 
of Pennsylvania and died in Richland county, Ohio, in 1844. Nancy was 
the second of twelve children, ten of whom grew to maturitv, and she was 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 563 

reared in Richland county. The seven children born to Mr. and Mrs. 
vSwank all came to the light of day in the log house in Orange township and 
most of them have some recollection of that first scene of life. Only four 
of these children are now living: William, a farmer of Knox county; 
Christian R., of Hancock county; Casper E., living in Kansas; and Hamil- 
ton R., who lives at home. Of the deceased, Susan was married and left 
two sons, William and Charlie. Three children survived the daughter 
Nancy Jane, — Bert, Vim and Floyd. Albert is the name of the deceased son. 

PHILIP FLAMION. 

This gentleman is one of the popular farmers of Marion township, who 
by thrift and industry has established himself in a comfortable home and now 
ranks among the enterprising citizens of his community. His parents, John 
and Martha Flamion, were natives of Belgium, where they spent their entire 
lives in the enjoyment of general respect among their neighbors. 

Philip Flamion was born on the homestead in Belgium, August 2, 1848, 
and was trained in the economical farm methods of that country, remaining 
there until about twenty-five years of age. In 1873 he emigrated to Amer- 
ica, made his way to Ohio and located in Clinton county. After spending 
two years in Clinton and Henry counties he changed his locality to Han- 
cock county in 1875. After his arrival he followed various callings for five 
or six years, turning his hand to whatever he found to do and not fearing 
hard work if it gave promise of future advancement. By saving his earn- 
ings and avoiding all extravagant expenditures, Mr. Flamion was able by 
1 88 1 to purchase the sixty-eight acres of land which has since constituted 
his home. When the discovery of oil \vas made in Hancock county Mr. 
Flamion was fortunate enough to be found in the belt, and in time six pro- 
ducing oil wells were developed on his farm. These add materially to his rev- 
enue, and with what he obtains by judicious husbanding make him a very 
comfortable income and place him among the happy class of independent 
farmers. During his occupancy his farm has been greatly improved as the 
result of much hard work, and considerable money expended upon it by its 
enterprising owner. Notable among the improvements are some fine build- 
ings erected by Mr. Flamion, which are of modern style, commodious and 
altogether a credit not only to the owner but to the neighborhood. 

In 1873, shortly before his departure for the new world, Mr. Flamion 
was married in Paris, France, to Miss Mary Perry, a native and worthy 
daughter of the famous French capital. This union, which has proved con- 



564 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

genial in all respects and brought much happiness to both participants, has 
been fruitful as well as blissful; Mr. and Mrs. Flamion have had eleven 
children, two of whom were taken away by death, those living being named 
as follows : Nicholas, August, Louisa, Charles, Oliver, Emily, Joseph, 
William and Martha. All of the family are devoted members of the Roman 
Catholic church, and the Flamion family comes near to being an ideal one, 
so great is the mutual affection for each other displayed by every member 
of the household. 

WILLIAM SHARNINGHAUSE. 

Those persons w^ho are always complaining of lack of opportunity, talk- 
ing of ''hard times," insisting that tliey have had "no chance" and declaring 
their inability to "get along" on the ordinary wages paid to ordinary men, 
may learn a valuable lesson by reading the following brief biographical 
sketch. About the middle of the last century there lived in Hanover, Ger- 
many, a worthy couple named Henry and Mary Sharninghause. They were 
extremely poor, but being industrious and honest the}- were respected by 
those who knew^ them best. After lives of weary struggle against the hard 
conditions then prevailing in the old world, these honest people ended their 
days in their native Alsace with little more of this world's goods than they 
possessed in the beginning. 

Unto this couple was born on December 12, 1849, ^ child whom they 
christened William. As they had nothing to give him but their blessing, 
and as circumstances at home were very straitened, this little boy was com- 
pelled to earn his living at the tender age of seven. He was set to herd- 
ing cows by a gentleman in the neighborhood, who was kind enough to give 
him employment; the latter was glad enough to obtain the pittance which 
this work brought to himself and his poor old parents. Little William con- 
tracted, or "bound himself," for five years, the remuneration beginning with 
nine dollars for the first twelve months, twelve for the second, fifteen for 
the third, forty for the fourth and fifty for the fifth and last. Added up, 
William found his pay amounted to one hundred and twenty-six dollars, 
which, though it may seem small to many, looked like a princely fortune to 
this friendless German boy. Right here is where the lesson we spoke of 
comes in most forcibly. Every dollar of this money w^as put to the best 
possible use by William, in purchasing passage to America. He landed in 
1869, when about twenty years c^lcl, but before he could secure work his little 
store had dwindled to six dollars. In the same vear, however, he man- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 565 

aged to reach Hancock county, Ohio, took up his abode in Allen township 
and went to work at whatever he could get to do. This he continued four 
and a half years, and one year before the expiration of that time he had 
saved five hundred dollars. That means much in the hands of a thrifty and 
economical German, and William Sharninghause knew what to do with his 
hard-earned gains. During the seven years which followed his period of 
"working out" he rented farms, worked hard, saved in every possible way 
and in 1881 was able to purchase seventy acres of land for himself. By 
1896 he succeeded in adding enough more to make his present holdings of 
one hundred and fifty acres. Those who now visit Mr. Sharninghause's 
hospitable home will find that he has erected a fine and substantial barn," be- 
sides remodeling the house and putting on other finishing touches, which 
make his place decidedly cosy and attractive and one of the most comfortable 
residences in Portage township. 

Such is the story of a truly self-made man who shows us how much can 
come from little and how nerve and pluck will overcome the direst poverty 
and the most adverse circumstances. Like all wise men, Mr. Sharninghause 
decided at an early age to select a partner to share his joys as well as his sor- 
rows, and to assist and comfort him in the struggles of life. His choice fell 
upon Miss Dora Kuhlman, to whom he was wedded in 1872, and who made 
him the happy father of four bright and promising children, named respect- 
ively, James M., George F., Henry W. and Ora. Parents and children are 
members of the G'erman Lutheran church, in which Mr. §harninghause has 
held the offices of deacon and trustee for twelve years. But though atten- 
tive to his church duties and a respecter of religion, Mr. Sharninghause con- 
siders that the whole duty of man is summed up in the simple creed "Do 
unto others as you would wish others to do unto you," and it is his aim to 
carry this out in his every day life, well assured that the observance of this 
golden rule includes all the moral code. After saying this much, it is hardly 
necessary to add that with his thrift, his honest methods and his genial dis- 
position William Sharninghause deserves and enjoys general respect among 
his neighbors and acquaintances. And this good will and esteem his worthy 
wife and amiable children also enjoy with their estimable father. 

ROBERT A. COOPER. 

Among those fortunate persons who "struck oil" as the result of the dis- 
coveries in the Findlay section of Ohio, none were more deserving of their 
good luck than the gentleman \\hose name heads this sketch. He is a native 



565 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

of Hancock county, being descended from early settlers, and the family has 
always stood well in the community. Robert A. Cooper was born January 
6, 1853, on the farm in Portage township where he now resides, his parents 
being Amos and Elizabeth A. (Poe) Cooper. He was brought up and edu- 
cated in his native township and has always followed farming as a means 
of livelihood from the time he was able to work. It was July 22, 1884, that 
Mr. Cooper first made an investment in land, his purchase consisting of 
forty acres situated in Portage township, which was later increased by an 
inheritance of forty acres more. The acquisition of these eighty acres of 
land proved timely and profitable, as the discovery of oil in Hancock county 
resulted in the development of ten wells on Mr. Cooper's place, which are 
now in operation and yielding a good revenue. 

On October 22, 1874, Mr. Cooper was married to Miss Mary J., daugh- 
ter of Andrew and Elizabeth Knoka, a native of Allen township, where she 
was born August 9, 1854. Edwin H. Cooper, the eldest of the two sons 
resulting from this union, was born January 12, 1878, graduated at the An- 
gola (Indiana) Normal School and is now attending the Homeopathic Medi- 
cal College of Chicago. Clarence M. Cooper, the youngest son, was born 
December 13, 1881, and is at present a student at the Angola Normal. Mr. 
and Mrs. Robert A. Cooper are vvorthy members of the Blanchard Presby- 
terian church and much esteemed by the wide circle of acquaintances who 
have known them for years and found them true to all duties and require- 
ments of good citizenship. Mr. Cooper is not an aspirant for office, wastes 
no time on the intrigues of politics, but attends strictly to his business and 
aims to vote intelligently for what he regards as the best interests of county, 
state and nation. In the .sketch of Isaac W. Cooper, on another page of 
this volume, will be found additional and interesting particulars of the fam- 
ily history. 

PHILIP WEIROUGH. 

It is a common remark throughout the United States that no country 
of the world has contributed to the great republic a more desirable class of 
emigrants than Germany. Wherever one goes, he will assuredly hear it 
said: "These Germans make mighty fine citizens." They are always law- 
abiding, well educated, genial in disposition, quick to "catch on" and trained 
in those habits of economy and thrift which are so valuable in early life. 
They seem to succeed at everything they undertake, whether it be running 
a butcher shop, a bakery, a store, a candy stand or a farm. The central west- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 567 

ern states have been especially fortunate in obtaining this fine stream of emi- 
gration, and no other state received a finer selection than Ohio. 

Of the many thousands of Germans who have settled in the great and 
prosperous Buckeye state during the last half century were Nicholas and 
Mary Weirough. They came over in 1859 and located at Findlay, where the 
husband first obtained employment as engineer for the Adams foundry. Mr. 
Weirough, however, had aspirations to become a farmer and in 1870 bought 
eighty acres of unimproved land in Portage township. To this he removed 
Avith his family, and the next few years were devoted to the hard work in- 
cident to clearing land and getting it into shape to compete with modern 
methods of agriculture. In due time, the rough place was cleared and culti- 
vated, fenced and smoothed and improved until the original owner would not 
have recognized it. All the necessary buildings, combining both utility and 
ornament, and all those little adjuncts of shrubbery, nice walks and green 
sward, which go so far to beautify a country seat, were in due time added by 
the tasteful occupants. The worthy owners still enjoy life at the home their 
industry made, the father being ninety-one and the mother sixty-five years of 
age, and both much loved and respected by hosts of friends and acquaintances. 
Of their nine children, seven are living and all these are residents of Hancock 
county. 

Among the number is Philip Weirough, who was born in Findlay, 
Ohio, June 23, 1861. He was reared and educated partly in Findlay and part- 
in Portage township, to which his parents removed in his youth. After 
reaching maturity Mr. Weirough worked in the oil fields for a number of 
years, but eventually abandoned this occupation in order to take up farming. 
In 1899 he purchased eighty acres of fertile land in Portage township, to 
which he removed a year ago and which he is now engaged in cultivating. 
As he has inherited from his father those good qualities for which he was 
noted and is a man of intelligence and progressive ideas, there can be little 
doubt that Mr. Weirough will in time rank with the best of Hancock's agri- 
culturists. 

In 1884 occurred the happy nuptials of Philip Weirough and Miss 
Rachel, daughter of Jacob and Mary A. Rinehold, the bride being a native of 
Seneca county, Ohio, where she was born April 22, 1866. As the result of 
their union, Mr. and Mrs. Weirough have three bright and interesting chil- 
dren : John A., born June 8, 1885; Maud M., born September 15, 1886; 
and Clarence J., whose birth occurred September 16, 1888. No people in 
the county are more esteemed or have more friends than the Weirough fam- 



568 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

RADO KEMPHER. 

The subject of this sketch, whose name is given above, is one of many 
worthy rqDresentatives of a family of Dutch origin which settled in Hancock 
county many years ago and became a part of its stanchest citizenship. The 
original emigrants located in Pennsylvania, where they reared a family of 
four sons and four daughters, all of whom at a later day located in Hancock 
county. They arrived in 1837, and each of the sons purchased a half section 
of land, which they retained and cultivated during the remainder of their 
lives. The Kemphers proved to be a valuable acquisition to what w-as then 
a sparsely settled section of Ohio, as they were model farmers, people of 
upright lives, law-abiding and loyal as citizens. As they increased and multi- 
plied by marriage, the family connection grew to be one of influence, and 
none of the early settlers commanded more esteem than this contribution from 
the land of steady habits beside the German Ocean. 

^Vbraham Kempher, one of the four sons abo\^e alluded to, was born in 
Northampton county, Pennsylvania, in 1805 and grew to manhood in the 
place of his nativity. In 1834, three years before his emigration to Ohio, 
he was married to Susan Buzzard, also born in Northampton county, in 1816, 
and this union proved both fruitful and congenial. The names of their 
children in order of birth are thus recorded in the family Bible : Ann L., 
born April 8, 1836; Jacob, born December 8, 1837; Rebecca, deceased, 
born November 9, 1840; Mary, born February 16, 1842; John, born April 
13, 1844; Frances L., born July 3, 1846; Rachel S., born June 9, 
1849; Eli, born August 8, 1852; and Rado, born May 4, 1855. Abraham 
Kempher, the father of this family, was a quiet, peaceable man, who 
pursued the even tenor of his way throughout an unadventurous life and 
gained the good will of all with whom he came in contact. His 
farming operations were carried on with the thrift and industry charac- 
teristic of Hollanders, and his farm became one of the neatest and best 
cultivated in his township. The one hundred and sixty acres of land formerly 
owned by him were greatly increased in value by the discovery of oil, 
and at the present time contain ten productive wells. The old pioneer, 
however, did not live long enough to get the benefit of this, as he passed peace- 
fully away from earth's struggles on the first day of April, 1877. He had 
survived his good wife many years, her death having occurred in i860. The 
whole family, including parents as well as children, were lifelong members of 
the Disciples church at McComb. 

Rado Kempher, whose birth occurred in Hancock county, Ohio, in 1855, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 569 

was the yoiing-est of the children, and as he grew up chsplayed all the sturdy 
qualities of his ancestry. Like all of these, he adhered to the soil as an occu- 
pation and means of livelihood and is at present one of the best known farmers 
m Portage township. He has proved a worthy descendant of worthy sires, 
and ranks among- the best of his neig-hborhood as an agriculturist and citizen.' 
All of the Kemphers who came to Hancock county in 1837 have passed awav, 
inculding- his grandfather and father, as well as his uncles and aunts, but the 
rising generation contains many worthy representatives to perpetuate the 
honored name, and among these none is more deserving of notice than 
Rado Kempher. He is a man in whom all his neighbors have confidence, 
and as a farmer he occupies front rank among the many skillful agriculturists 
of the county. Air. Kempher is unmarried, and like others of his name, 
almost without exception, is allied in politics with the Republican party. 

JOSEPH J. HERMAN. 

Besides industry and good judgment there are many other qualities 
which add to the success of the business man, especially the merchant, and 
among these are a genial and cordial manner and that courtesy which never 
fails to win and retain customers. One of these popular and prosperous 
merchants, located in the thriving town of Vanlue, Hancock county, Ohio, 
IS Joseph J. Herman, who is the proprietor of a general store there.' In the 
year 1899 he purchased this store from George Alspach and opened it with 
a fine display of goods in the same year. From the start he had a large pat- 
ronage, and his numerous customers are increasing daily. His business is 
centrally located, his building is of commodious and convenient proportions 
and his stock is of the finest quality and always fresh from the manufacturers. 
^ Mr. Herman is the son of Joseph and Catherine (Leitzel) Herman, 
natives of Pennsylvania, and in Union county of that state he was ushered 
into the world on the 13th of November, 1871 ; in the county of his nativity 
he was reared and in the district schools he receiA-ed the elementary educa- 
tion which was to fit him for the duties of after life. He has 'been an 
extensive farmer and in connection ^^•ith this occupation has dealt in hay, 
which latter branch he still carries on in conjunction with his mercantile 
interests. 

Mr. Herman is not only a first-class business man Ijut also stands high 
in social circles and has performed his part of the duties devolving upon 
American citizenship; he has held the office of councilman of his town with 
much credit, is a worthy member of the Knights of Pythias and belongs to 



570 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

the United Brethren church, of which he is the efficient Sunday-school super- 
nitendent and one of the board of trustees. In the fall of 1897 Mr. Herman 
became the husband of Miss Laura E. Shuck, the accomplished daughter 
of Aaron and Matilda (Bright) Shuck; she was born on her father's farm 
in Big Lick township, July 19, 1874. Of this union one son was born, Au- 
gust 14, 1 90 1, whom they have named Russell. 

ISAAC L. SHULL. 

The family of this name became established in Hancock county as early 
as 1833, in which year Solomon Shull took possession of two hundred and 
forty acres of land in Amanda township, part of which tract is now included 
in Wyandot county. This original settler left three sons, Isaac, Benjamin 
and Joseph, who inherited all the property at the time of his death and divided 
it into three equal parts. Benjamin, the second of these sons, was born in 
Franklin county, Ohio, September 15, 181 5, and in early manhood was 
married to Christina Kitsmiller, a native of Fairfield county and about two 
years his junior. In 1846 they removed to Hancock county and settled on 
the inherited land above mentioned, which was their home during all the 
subsequent years of their lives. When Benjamin took possession of his 
third of the estate, amounting to eighty acres, it was practically in its raw 
state, as scarcely a beginning of improvements had been made. His first 
act was to build a log cabin in which to house his wife and little ones until 
something better could be substituted, and in this rude structure they lived 
until 1859. During his occupancy this farm was so greatly improved that 
its lirst owner would not have known it, and by clearing, fencing, rotation 
of crops, thorough cultivation and addition of all necessary outbuildings it 
v/as converted into a productive and valuable estate. Benjamin Shull be- 
came a noted character in the neighborhood on account of his cleverness 
with the ax, that indispensable weapon of the Ohio pioneer. Whenever 
there was to be a house-raising Ben was sure to be one of the invited guests 
and usually was awarded the honor of "holding up the corner." He had 
great skill in erecting those rude log structures which housed the first comers, 
as well as their descendants for one or two generations, and in his own 
affairs was a man of untiring industry. His marriage, which occurred in 
1840, was productive of six children : John H., Mary A., William C, Har- 
mon T., Sylvanus and Isaac L. The parents, who were life-long members 
of the United Brethren church, have both passed away, the death of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 57 1 

Mrs. Christina Shull having occurred ]\Iarch 23, 1892, and that of the hus- 
band September 15, 1902. 

Isaac L. Shull, young-est of the children, was born on his father's farm 
in Hancock county, Ohio, January 24, 1855, and grew to manhood in his 
native township. His education was obtained partly in the district schools 
and partly in the high schools at Vanlue and Findlay. With the exception 
of six years in the latter place his whole life has been spent in Amanda town- 
ship in the prosecution of agricultural pursuits, to which he had been trained 
from boyhood. For twenty-four years he and his brother Sylvanus operated 
a threshing machine in partnership, and this firm became known far and wide 
for the amount as well as excellence of the work they did for grain growers 
over a wide area of Ohio territory. In 1893 Mr. Shull took possession of 
his possession of his present homestead, consisting of one hundred and forty- 
six acres, of which fifty-six acres lie in Wyandot county. He devotes this 
place to general farming and stock-raising, and is regarded ni the neighbor- 
hood as one of the most progressive and successful of the township's farmers, 
while also being considered an authority on various agricultural subjects. 

On November 23, 1876, Mr. Shull was married to Eleanor, daughter 
of John and Nancy A. Crawford, from which union have resulted two chil- 
dren: Truman W., born November 27, 1881, and Anna M., born ^larch 
28, 1883. The family are members of the United Brethren church, of which 
Mr. Shull has been a class leader and steward, and he was for some time 



JOHN Z. SAMPSON. 

This gentleman, one of the prosperous farmers of Amanda township, 
is descended on the side of both mother and father from early settlers of 
Hancock county. The family originated from Eli and Ann Sampson, who 
emigrated from Maryland in the early part of the nineteenth century and 
took part in developing Hancock county. Among their children was a son 
named David, wdio was born in Jackson township and became a prosperous 
farmer, accumulated considerable wealth and rose to a position of prominence 
in his community. He was influentially connected with township affairs and 
served both as superintendent and trustee. David Sampson married Melinda 
Hoy, a member of the old pioneer family of that name, and of their ten chil- 
dren seven are living. The father lost his life in 1899, as the result of being 
struck by a falling tree, but his widow still survives in a good old age. 

John Z. Sampson, son of the last mentioned couple, was born in Amanda 



572 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

township, March 30, 1864, and has spent all his life in the locality of his 
nativity. He attended the township schools and finished his education at 
Mount Blanchard. After leaving school he "buckled down" to hard work 
and has ever since been engaged in agricultural pursuits. He has pros- 
pered, and at present owns a neat place of seventy-five acres in Amanda 
township, which is devoted to general farming and stock-raising. He is of 
industrious habits, a good manager and altogether one of the representa- 
tive men of the generation of farmers who have come up in Hancock county 
since the Civil war. On September 4, 1894, Mr. Sampson was united in 
marriage to Miss Maggie Dragoo, of Indiana, but has no children. They are 
members of the Methodist Protestant church and are good citizens of the 
community in every sense of the word. 

D. W. FITCH. 

The purpose of this brief sketch will be to give the life history of one 
of Hancock county's live and progressive agriculturists, who has also made 
a success in other lines of business. The parents of the subject of this sketch 
were William and Martha Fitch, both natives of Pennsylvania, the father 
from Beaver county of that state. In 1837 they came to Ohio and located 
on one hundred and sixty acres of land in Wyandot county, which they 
entered from the government. William Fitch was a good farmer, a worthy 
citizen and a true Christian in every sense of the word, for many years being 
prominently connected with the Presbyterian church and for several years 
serving as elder. His wife was a godly woman, wdiose kind and beneficent 
training is still remembered by her loving children. The husl^and passed 
away in 1857, and the wife in 1890. 

Their son, D. W. Fitch, was born in Wyandot county, Ohio, on the 
4th day of May, 1845; the old homestead was the scene of his boyish pleas- 
r.res and sorrows, and in the familiar schoolhouse he learned the lessons and 
received the discipline in common with the other boys of the neighborhood. 
His principal vocation in life has been farming, but he has also tried other 
pursuits; for five years he conducted a grocery store in Hardin county, 
Ohio, to which county he removed in 1883; in 1890 he went to Findlay, 
Hancock county, and became the agent of a publishing house. He finally 
turned his attention to farming and at first rented land, moving about from 
place to place, as is the custom, in this and Wood counties; in 1894 he sus- 
tained a great loss, when his house and all its contents were destroyed by 
the flames. In 1900 he purchased his present farm of one hundred and twelve 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 573 

iicres of valuable land and is now devoting it to general farming, in which 
he has been very successful. 

In 1867 Mr. Fitch was married to Sarah Andrews, who was born in 
London, England, and came to America when she was seven years of age. 
They have four children : Florence, Ivy, Frank and Hazel. :Mr. Fitch has 
filled wath credit several township offices, and has a good record m every de- 
partment of life. 

DAVID U. CHAMBERS. 

The family of Chambers, though identified with Ohio from an early 
period, is of Virginia origin. Elias Chambers, founder of the name in the 
Buckeye state, married Catherine Stockman, of Pennsylvania, and settled in 
Crawford county, Ohio, as far back as 1825, entered one hundred and twenty 
acres of timbered land and made the first use of his trees to build a cabin. 
This pioneer couple had seven children: Susan, the first born, afterward 
Mrs. Steen, was an infant at the time of the settlement; William, deceased; 
Catherine, who married J. Steen ; Peter, deceased ; David ; Daniel ; and 
Aaron. David Chambers, fifth of these children, was born in Crawford 
county, Ohio, December 24, 1833, and grew to manhood at the place of his 
nativity. Shortly after reaching his majority he came to Hancock county, 
where he \vorked by the day for various persons and eventually was em- 
ployed to do farm work for his uncle, William Chambers, on the place which 
he now owns. He has made it one of the desirable farms of Big Lick town- 
ship, the land being highly improved and cuhivated by up-to-date methods. 
He has gained standing, not only as a good farmer, but as a model citizen, 
and has filled acceptably the office of constable, trustee and other township 
offices. April 26, 1859, David Chambers was married to Sarah A., daugh- 
ter of Samuel and Eliza (Smith) Sargent, natives of Hampshire county, 
West Virginia, who came to Ohio in 1825. The children of this union are 
Nora C, David V., Greely, Delia, Clinton, Cora and Wesley. 

David U. Chambers, second of the above enumerated children, was born 
on his father's farm in Big Lick township, Hancock county, Ohio, Septem- 
ber 4, 1866, and grew to maturity in the usual manner of l)oys of his class. 
He attended the neighborhood schools in term time and nt other periods 
assisted with the farm work, learning those details of the business which were 
to be useful to him in after life. In 1890 he became the owner of eighty acres 
of valuable land in Big Lick towaiship, which he has since cultivated and made 
his place of residence. He devotes his place to general farming and stock- 



574. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

raising, not attempting any fancy farming, and is regarded as one of the 
most promising of the younger generation of agriculturists in his part of 
the county. He is industrious and ambitious, as all the surroundings will 
show, his farm being kept in good order, and equipped with all the modern 
conveniences. Mr. Chambers has neither sought nor cared for office in 
a general way, but at the urgency of his neighbors accepted the position of 
township trustee, and served efficiently for three years. In the fall of 1889 Mr. 
Chambers was united in marriage with Miss Isadore, daughter of John and 
Sarah Bright, the bride being a native of Big Lick township and born there 
December 7, 1867. The five children resulting from this union are: Lillian 
M., born November 7, 1890; Edna C, born November 15, 1891 ; Garnet R., 
born May iy, 1894; Audrey C, born March 22, 1898; and Mabel D., born 
July 31, 1900. Mr. and Mrs. Chambers are both consistent members of 
the Evangelical church, in which the former holds the position of trustee. 

SAMUEL B. THOMAS. 

This gentleman deserves to be ranked among the early pioneers, as he 
is a native of Ohio and has lived in the state for eighty years. He is a son 
of James and Mary A. (Campbell) Thomas, both natives of Lxland, where 
the former was born in 1784 and the latter in 1786. They emigrated to 
America in 1818, first locating at Norfolk, Virginia, where they made a short 
stay and then moved to Pennsylvania, from which place they subsequaitly 
migrated to Wayne county, Ohio. In 1835 they came to Hancock county, 
where Mr. Thomas purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land, upon 
which he erected a log hut, eighteen by twenty feet, and there resided for 
several years. By much hard work these worthy immigrants succeeded in 
impro\ing this land until it became a ^'aluable farm. Mr. Thomas was a 
hard working man, possessed that geniality for which his countrymen are so 
well noted, and l)y his upright life gained a multitude of friends. Both him- 
self and wife were members of th Presbyterian church, and they followed out 
the precepts of their religion in their daily intercourse with their fellow men. 
Mr. Thomas died in Hancock county, August 10, 1870, and his wife passed 
away January 6, 1868. 

Of their family of twelve children five are still living, including Samuel 
B. Thomas, the subject of this sketch, who was born in Wayne county, Ohio, 
July 9. 1822. At the age of twelve years he moved with his parents to Han- 
cock county, where he was brought up to do all kinds of farm work and re- 
mained at home until 1847. ^^ that year he was married to Miss Elizabeth 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 575 

Struble, by whom he had three children: Mary A., Bradford and Ahiia, the 
latter deceased. In 1845 Mr. Thomas purchased the farm on which he now 
resides, consisting of eighty acres, which he lias brought to a high state of cul- 
tivation and devotes to general farming. He has greatly improved the place 
in every respect, especially by the erection of substantial buildings, con- 
structed on the most modern plan and especially adapted to the duties for 
which they are designed. Everybody speaks of Samuel B. Thomas as a suc- 
cessful citizen who can be relied upon to meet evei-y contract, wliether it be 
in writing or not, and he conscientiously performs every duty to his fellow 
man both in public and in private life. 

CHARLES S. JOHNSTON. 

This gentleman is conspicuous in Marion township as the owner of a 
valuable dairy farm cansisting of one hundred and twenty acres, which is 
devoted to general faiTning and stock-raising. He keeps thirty cows of a 
superior Jersey breed, mostly registered, besides a lot of young stock. He 
deals extensively in cream and sells twenty gallons of this product per day. 

His parents were David and Elizabeth (Griggs) Johnston, the former 
born in Fairfield county, Ohio, January 19, 1819, and the latter in Lycoming 
county, Pennsylvania, August 14, 1823. They were married in Fairfield 
county, and in 1853 removed to Hancock county, where they located on the 
farm now owned by their son, H. H. Johnston, who also conducts an exten- 
sive dairy. The eighty acres originally purchased contained but few im- 
provements, but in the course of years this land was cleared and made 
valuable. Commodious buildings were erected and other changes made, 
Avhich have brought the farm up to the highest standard characteristic of that 
section of Ohio. Mr. Johnston, both in his private and business life, enjoys 
the reputation of being a good, honest and trustworthy man, who not only 
preaches but practices the golden rule. He was a consistent member of the 
United Brethren church, in which he held the position of class-leader and 
also other offices of importance. His house had the reputation of being 
the "preachers' home," owing to the fact that Mr. Johnston so often and 
so hospitably entertained the gentlemen of the cloth. This worthy man 
died in 1883, but his widow still survives and is enjoying the evening of 
life surrounded by hosts of friaids and children, who regard her with the 
utmost affection. The latter, four in number, are named as follows : Sam- 
uel, born in October, 1844; Mary A., born July 15. 1846. and is now de- 
ceased; Charles S.. born May 30, 1848; and H. H. The great-great-grand- 



576 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

mother of Mrs. Elizabeth Johnston was a Miss Huffman, of royal blood and 
an English princess, who during the uprising in Ireland fell in love with an 
Irish nobleman, but he being outside the royal family his wife was disin- 
herited and afterward fled with her husband to America, where their de- 
scendants became valiant soldiers in defense of American independence dur- 
ing the Revolutionary struggle. 

Charles S. Johnston, the third of the children in order of birth and the 
subject of this sketch, grew up on the farm and became thoroughly familiar 
with all the details connected with agricultural pursuits. He has held a 
position of prominence and influence both in business and political circles, 
serving as justice of the peace and a member of the county executive Re- 
publican committee for a number of years. He is rather fond of politics and 
always takes an active interest in the political contests, both local and general. 
On October 20, 1870, he was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth, a daugh- 
ter of Josiah and Elizabeth (Miller) Connor, and the result of this union, 
which has been an ideally happy one, has been the birth of eight children: 
Winifred M., the eldest of these, is now a practicing physician in Findlay; 
Effie and Jennie are dead; Edward and Fred are twins; D. M. ; William M.: 
and Frank, deceased. 

Mr. Johnst(jn juuxhased the farm wliich he is now conducting in 1887, 
and has greatly improved it by the erection of the commodious residence and 
other valuable buildings especially adapted to the dairy Inisiness. In addition 
to being regarded as an up-to-date farmer and successful stock-raiser Mr. 
Johnston ranks as one of the most popular citizens of his township. 

CHARLES BEAMER. 

A mention of the prominent farmers of Washington township would 
hardly be complete without noting the name of this representative of the 
agricultural interests, who owns and operates a farm of one hundred and 
ninety acres. The family of which he is an honored representative is of 
Pennsylvania Dutch descent. He is the son of George and Elizabeth (Study) 
Beamer. George Beamer was born in the state of Maryland in 1791, and 
Elizabeth Study was born in Pennsylvania in 1809. They married in Penn- 
sylvania, where they lived for a number of years, and in 1848 located in 
Hancock county. Ohio. Mr. George Beamer had been a soldier in the war 
of 1812, and in compensation he received, besides his regular pay, a grant of 
land from the government. He located on a farm of eighty acres of virgin 
soil, upon which he built the usual log cabin, and endured all the hardships 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY $77 

which were the lot of the hardy band of pioneers of that early day. George 
Beamer, like most of his neighbors, was a poor man, but he was not to be 
kept poor, for he was hard working, honest and trustworthy, qualities which 
coupled wilh a keen business judgment and foresight, made him successful 
in the securing of a competence. He was not a man who sought office, but de- 
lighted in the support of tlie principles of the Democratic party. His family 
consisted of twelve children, all of whom grew to maturity but two, and 
seven of tliis number survive at the present writing, whose names are as fol- 
lows : Eve, Mary A., Barbara, George, ^Villiam, Charles and Addison. 
The father of this family died in 1868, his wife having lived a period of six 
years longer. 

Charles Beamer was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, July 10, 1838, 
and as he was ten years old when his parents came to Hancock county, most 
of his education was received in Big Lick township. He has fitted himself 
by years of toil and varied experience for his vocation in life, that of a 
farmer, and has proved himself pre-eminently successful. When he became 
of age he went out in the world with a full determination to reach the climax 
before the evening of life overtook him. The evidences of forethought, 
energy and push are seen in his well kept farm, and in his handsome and 
convenient buildings. As lie remarked to the writer himself "the whole state 
of Ohio was bequeathed to me at my majority that I might make a living in 
it." In 1862 when his country needed men true and loyal to defend the 
integrity of the Union and prevent its disruption, he patriotically responded 
to his country's call. As a member of Company G, One Hundred and Eight- 
eenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, he battled for three years for the supremacy 
of "old glory." During that time he participated in the following battles : 
Mossy Creek, Nashville, Buzzards Roost, Franklin, Fort Fisher, and many 
minor engagements and skirmishes. During all that period he was faithful 
to his trust and was honorably discharged at Cleveland, Ohio, in 1865, with 
a knowledge that he had done his duty to the country he so much loved. For 
four years following the war he resided at home, but in 1869 he purchased 
his father's property in Big Lick township, buying out the heirs. This 
property he has so remodeled and improved as to make it appear almost as 
another place. The property, it might be noted here, was formerly the home 
of Michael Roller. 

Mr. Beamer is popular in the ])olitical arena, having served honorably 
and successfully as a trustee of his township, has been a member of the school 
board for long years, and is ever ready to take part in any enterprise that 
looks to the improvement of the citizens of his community. He was mar- 



578 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

ried in Xovember of t866, to Miss Liicinda, the daughter of Moses and Mary 
McAiielly. His children are as follows : Perry, Lewis, Corlin, Irene and 
Mary E. Mrs. Beamer is a native of the township in which she resides, 
having been there born in 1841. Islv. and Mrs. Beamer stand high in the 
community where they have so long made their home, and no citizens of Big 
Lick township are more highly honored or respected. 

ISAAC TEATSORTH. 

Isaac Teatsorth is the descendant of James and Margaret Thompson 
Teatsorth, who were natives of Pennsylvania, the former having been born 
September 4, 1802, the latter November 6, 1804. They married Sep- 
tember 14, 1826, and removed in early life to Harrison county, Ohio, where 
they remained a number of years, and where some of their children were 
born. In 1833 they removed to Findlay, Ohio, where they located, and James 
being an experienced miller, erected and operated a mill for the manufacture 
of various kinds of bread stuffs. In this business he prospered, his mill hav- 
ing been located where now stands the building in which the people belonging 
to the Church of God vvorship. In 1849, when the California fever was at its 
height, he made the journey to that country, where in a few years he amassed 
wealth enough to answer as a competence for the remainder of his days. He 
returned to Findlay and purchased a substantial home, where he lived out 
the remainder of his days, dying November 3, 1880. His wife lived until 
1886, when on the 27th of September, she also died. In politics James Teat- 
sorth was a Democrat, and while he made no pretensions as a professor of 
religion, he was an upright man in his private life. His family numbered nine 
children, four of whom are living: Ganett, who was born in 1828; Isaac, the 
subject of this sketch, who was born on May i. 1830; Abraham, born in 
1832; and the youngest son, James, born in 1846. 

Isaac, whose name heads this biography, is one of the well known and 
substantial men of his township, where for twenty-five years he has success- 
fully carried on milling". He was born in Harrison county, Ohio, and re- 
moved with his father to Findlay when only three years of age. He does not 
remember when he did not know something about a grist mill, being so 
intimately connected with his father from a very early period in his boyhood, 
and the latter, indeed, left him to attend to the running of the establishment 
much of the time. His education was received at Findlay in the common 
schools. 

He was married to Miss Mary A., daughter of Henry and Maria Folk, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 579 

on May 30, 1856. To the union were born Elida, April 3, 1857; Charles, 
deceased, born August 30, 1858; Emma E., August 21, i860; Sophia \V., 
deceased, born November 9, 1862, Henry L., deceased, born July 4, 1865; 
George W., August 27, 1873; Clyde R., deceased, born February 19, 1875. 
Our subject removed from Findlay in 1874, and located in Hardin county, 
Ohio, where for the next two years he engaged in milling. On June 
25, 1876, he purchased his present home and mill property. He man- 
ufactures all kinds of flour and feed, the mill having a capacity of one hun- 
dred barrels per day. In 1901" the city of Findlay purchased his dam 
privileges, since which time he has retired from active business. Mr. Teat- 
sorth has four oil wells on his place, and his own home is lighted and 
warmed from his own wells. Mrs. Teatsorth is a lady of many gentle traits 
of character, and was born in Perry county, Ohio, April 3, 1833. ^^^ father, 
Henry Folk, died July 28, 1878, having lived to the advanced age of seventy- 
five years. Her mother, Maria Folk, died June 17, 1842, at a very early age. 
Her grandfather. Nicholas Folk, was one of the early settlers of his section 
of the state, having entered, his one hundred and sixty acres in 1831. 

ISAAC M. GREENE. 

Isaac M. Greene is the son of a veteran in more ways than one. His 
father was one of the first settlers of Hancock county and one of those who 
sacrificed time, prospects and life for their country upon the field of battle. 
On the maternal side Isaac is descended from the Hollenbacks of Fairfield 
county, where both his parents were born. John Greene, the father, was a 
farmer and sawyer who spent the best years of his manhood in leveling the 
forest and making the wilderness a fit place for civilization. When the 
struggle between the north and the south was on, he entered the One Hun- 
dred and Eighteenth Ohio Regiment of Volunteer Infantry for three years 
of active service. He lost his right arm in battle, and though small attention 
was paid to it at the time, he never fully recovered from the shock and in 
1877 died from the effects of his wound. His wife Catherine is still alive. 
Seven of his nine children are living, four in Hancock county. 

Isaac M. Greene has always lived in this county. He was born August 
10, 1852, and got his education at home and in the district school. He 
very early went to farming, and has always been a hard worker and an 
honest man. He is thoroughly progressive and is now busily engaged in 
improving a new farm of eighty acres bought in 1902. On February 18, 
1875, he was united in marriage to Miss Percy Handshy, a daughter of 



58o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Sebastian and Sarah Handshy, early settlers of this county. She was one of 
nine children, of whom five are living. Mrs. Greene was born in this county 
in 1850. She has made for her husband a very happy home. Once has 
a shadow come into their wedded life. On February 19, 1900, the angel 
of death hovered near and bore away the nineteen year old son Ira. Two 
sons only remain to them; they are: Hiram L., born February 5, 1876; 
and Marion O., born May 29, 1883. Ira A. was born on January 26, 1881, 
Mr. Greene belongs to the "Christian Union." 

GEORGE M. GOODMAN. 

This gentleman is one of the younger agriculturists of Hancock county, 
but has by his superior ability in the farming line and by consistent aufl 
earnest effort established for himself a reputation in that class not surpassed 
by many of the older farmers of tlie county. He resides in Marion township, 
and conducts an estate of six hundred acres of very valuable farming land. 
He was born in the township and on the present farm on the 24th of Novem- 
ber, 1872. He is a man of superior education and intelligence, having had 
the advantages of both the lower and the higher grades of the Findlay public 
schools, and to this was added a course in the best business college in this 
section. He selected the vocation of a farmer from choice rather than from 
necessity. He is a young man of very great promise, and a bright future 
greets his progressive steps. 

In matters of religious faith Mr. Goodman is an acti\-e supporter of the 
Methodist church, and is found ready at all times to give his support and 
influence to any enterprise that promises to advance the educational and re- 
ligious life of the community. To preside o\'er his home he selected Miss 
Bertha Hayes, the date of the marriage being October 19, 1900. She is a 
young lady of many graces of character, accomplished in manner, and of the 
very best breeding. She is the daughter of John C. and Calixta Hayes, and 
was born and reared in Hancock county. 

Mr. Goodman is the son of Lawrence and Barbara (Mack) Goodman. 
The Goodmans are of German descent, the father having been a native of the 
fatlierland, while the mother was born in Fairfield county, Ohio. Lawrence 
Goodman was a child of eight years when he crossed the ocean with his par- 
ents. They located in Marion township, where his father Joseph purchased 
one hundred and twenty acres of land and engaged in agricultural pursuits 
during the remainder of his life. The Goodmans have always been sup- 
porters of the Lutheran church. The father of our subject was reared with 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 581 

such advantages of education as could be procured in that early day. He was 
a first class business man and a practical and successful farmer. When he 
arrived at maturity, he purchased a farm of eighty acres in Alarion town- 
ship, and at intervals added to this original farm, until he became the owner 
of nine hundred acres. This was accomplished by hard personal labor on the 
farm rather than by any of the arts known to business. He combined with a 
cool head and fine judgment as to the future development of the country a 
splendid physical constitution. In connection with the accumulation of real 
estate in the country he early saw the advantage of investing in city real 
estate, and thus accumulated considerable property in Findlay. He died at 
the comparatively early age of fifty-six years in May, 1901. He had married 
twice, two children having come to him during his first marriage, and four 
by his second. The mother of our subject was his first wife. 

A. H. SMITH 

Well known in Hancock county, Mr. Smith is a worthy representative 
of its farming interests, and is a man whose sterling traits of character ha^'e 
made him popular with his business or social connections. He resides in 
Cass township on a farm of one hundred and twenty acres, which he devotes 
to general produce. He was born in Big Lick township October i, 1852, 
and is the son of George W. and Mary (Hoyt) Smith, both of whom are 
natives of New York state. His father is of Scotch parentage. This couple 
came to Hancock county, in 1844, and located in Big Lick township, purchas- 
ing a farm of two hundred acres, most of which was in its primitive wild 
state. During his residence in the county George W. Smith made a reputa- 
tion for honest dealing, and filled in his time several of the township offices 
with credit. He was a worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal church, in 
which he was an active worker, having been for many years a member of the 
governing board of that organization. Politically he favored the policies of 
the Republican party. His birth occurred in 1821, and he died in Hancock 
county in 1893; his wife, Mary, was born in 1819 and survived him, dying 
at the age of seventy-five. Their family numbered: ]\Iary A., Aurilla, 
Amelia, A. H., M. C., Elmer J., Arabelle. and Myrtie. 

A. H. Smith, who forms the subject of this review, received his early 
training and education in the township schools of Big Lick township, and 
with the exception of eight years spent in Findlay in handling agricultural 
implements his life has been devoted entirely to agricultural pursuits. He 
purchased his present farm in 1886, on which he has since resided. He 



582 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

farms largely on the intensive plan, using a rotation of crops to enrich his 
fields, and is a lover of good stock, of which he has a large number on his 
farm. On December i, 1873, he was united in marriage to Maggie A., 
daughter of Eli and Susanna Nead, and born on the farm where she now re- 
sides. To this union there was no issue. The circle of friends of which Mr. 
and Mrs. Smith are the center is extensive, and the regard in which they are 
held in their community is uniform. 

GEORGE W. ELSEA. 

One of the leading farmers and influential citizens of Marion township, 
Hancock county, for a long period of years, was this gentleman, George W. 
Elsea, now deceased. He resided on a farm in Marion township containing 
one hundred and twenty-five acres of valuable land, and during his life time 
devoted his entire attention to its cultivation. The date of his birth was 
May 17, 1842, the place being Eagle township in this county. Here he was 
reared and educated, and here he also began active life as a farmer. His 
parents were Moses and Mary A. Elsea, both of whom were natives of Pick- 
away county, Ohio, and subsequently removed to Hancock county. They in 
their time were among the substantial and practical people of the country, and 
reared a family of useful and respected children, who continue to honor the 
name. 

When George W. came to maturity he adopted the calling of his people 
before him, and removed to the farm on which his widow now resides, in 
]868. During the time of his residence there, he made vast improvements, 
erecting many modern buildings, and in other respects improved the farm, 
making it one of the most desirable rural homes in the county. He was a 
most practical farmer, and in his public relations was a loyal citizen and in 
his private relations a true and loving husband and father. He was greatly 
devoted to the church, having very early in life connected himself with the 
Methodist Episcopal denomination. During his life it was his delight to 
devote his talents to the cause of the Master in his lay position. He served 
for a long period of years. as Sunday-school superintendent, and for much of 
his life was the main stay of the local church. 

In 1863 he married Miss Mary A., the daughter of Jacob and Susannah 
Altman. This lady was born on the 5th of October, 1842, and belonged to 
one of the old and most respected families of Hancock county, whose history 
will be read elsewhere in this volume. She bore our subject five children, as 
follows: William S., born December 13, 1868, married Carry Essex, and to 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 583 

this union have been born, Clarence, Edith, Phihp and Leonard; Lemuel G., 
April 2, 1871, married Jennie Shuck, and they have one child, Eva; Mary 
N., May 27, 1874; Amanda J., April 12, 1878, married Mr. R. B. Hempy; 
and Lawrence A., August 6, 1880. Mrs. Elsea resides upon the old home 
farm, and continues to merit the love and esteem of her children and 
neighbors. 

JOHN W. ZELLER. 

Twenty-five years continuous service as superintendent of schools of the 
city of Findlay is evidence quite sufficient to mark Professor Zeller as a prom- 
inent figure in the educational interests of the great state of Ohio. During 
all of that period he has been prominently connected with every movement 
that had for its object the forwarding of educational interests, not only in 
his own state, but in the country at large. He is now and has been, for years 
in close touch with the master minds in the educational fields of our country, 
and is a man who has done a very large amount of personal work in securing 
the excellent and unsurpassed school system with which the citizens of Find- 
lay are favored. 

We do not desire to present the life history of Professor Zeller here as 
presenting any points which are particularly remarkable. It, however, will 
not be without its value, as it may teach some youth the fact that only per- 
sistent effort is necessary to advance himself in the educational field. Pro- 
fessor Zeller was born in Union township, Hancock county, January 22, 
1849. The period of boyhood was passed on the farm, on wdiich he engaged 
in its activities, there building the physical frame and laying the foundation 
of that health which has ahvays attended him subsequently. He attended 
the country school of his district during the winter time until he was seven- 
teen years of age. At that period he felt qualified to enter the active duties 
of the school room as a teacher, and for the next six years he was found in 
the school room in the winter and during the summer in the activities of the 
farm, and in further enriching his mind for the profession of teaching. He 
later entered the Ohio State Normal University, at Ada, and in 1874 com- 
pleted the course, being a member of the first graduating class of that insti- 
tution. His first work in the profession after graduation was undertaken in 
Grant, Logan county, Ohio, where he organized the public schools of the 
village and was superintendent for two years. Not satisfied with his equip- 
ment, Professor Zeller, entered Mount Union College, where he com- 
pleted the philosophical course, and was given the degree of Ph. B. In 



584 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

passing it is worthy of note to remark here that this college in 1885 conferred 
on him the degree of Ph. M. ; in 1891 he began a political science course at 
Ann Arbor for the degree of Ph. D., but not being able to complete that 
course since their rules required a year's residence at the school, Professor 
Zeller finished the conrse at Findlay College, and received from this institu- 
tion in 1892 the degree of Ph. D. After receiving his degree from Mount 
Union College in 1876, Professor Zeller prosecuted his studies still further at 
the Ohio Xormal University, where he took up the study of languages, also 
acting as a tutor in the university. 

It was in the summer of 1877 that the first election of Professor Zeller as 
superintendent of the public schools of Findlay occurred. He entered upon 
the work with enthusiasm, and it was but a very brief period until the public 
schools of Findlay began to be noted o\'er the state as being peculiarly excel- 
lent, and this reputation has since clung to the school. When Professor Zeller 
took charge of the Findlay schools, the population of Findlay was only a little 
over four thousand inhabitants, and there was a corps of sixteen teachers, with 
fifteen schools, all contained in three buildings. To-day there are eighty-two 
teachers connected with the schools, fourteen buildings and seventy-four 
rooms exclusive of the magnificent high school building, which has a faculty 
of eight teachers. All of these buildings are of the most substantial nature, 
being built of brick, and furnished with every kind of apparatus that is neces- 
sary for the conduct of a modern up-to-date school. The value of the three 
buildings when Professor Zeller took charge was but $45,000. The figures 
which cover the valuation to-day are $300,000. All this advance has been 
made under the efficient administration of Professor Zeller. During these 
years the city has grown from a village of four thousand inhabitants to a city 
of twenty thousand, and the number of school children has increased from 
eight hundred to about four thousand. The one thing, however, which 
among others is probably the greatest monument to the labor and zeal of Pro- 
fessor Zeller is the superb high school building finished in 1901, at a cost of 
about $65,000. This building is one of the best in the United States, being 
equipped with every convenience and necessity from a sanitary standpoint, 
and stands as a monument to the public spirit of the citizens of Findlay. It 
contains besides all the modern conveniences for the health and comfort of 
the three hundred and fifty high school pupils a handsome auditorium with a 
seating capacity of one thousand, which is not only used by the pupils for 
assembly purposes, but brings an annual income of $600 a year as a place for 
the holding of public entertainments. This money is set aside for replenish- 
ing the high school library and for the decoration of the rooms. The heating 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 585 

and the ventilation plant is of the most perfect construction, maintaining the 
temperature of the rooms and halls automatically. 

In political belief Professor Zeller adheres to the party of Lincoln and 
Garfield, and has never been backward about taking part in its public work. 
He has acted as a delegate from Hancock county to three of the state conven- 
tions, and was at the last election the nominee on the Republican ticket as a 
member of the state school commission. As stated in the first part of this 
review. Professor Zeller is exceedingly active in matters pertaining to his 
profession. He is ever alert to the organization of associations for the im- 
provement of teachers. He was instrumental in the organization years ago 
of the Ohio Teachers' Association, of which organization he has several times 
served on the executive committee, and has twice been elected president. For 
the past ten years he has been a member of the legislative committee of the 
Ohio State Teachers Association, and has also served on the executive com- 
mittee of this association, and has been president of the section devoted to 
superintendency. In institute work Professor Zeller is well known all over 
the state, having conducted institutes in thirty-four different counties. In 
1881 he was granted a state life certificate to teach in the schools of Ohio. 
The fact that our subject began his school work in the country schools of the 
county and at the early age of seventeen, and then advanced step by step from 
the rural schools to the village and town schools, rising to the superintendency 
in the schools of one of the best cities in the state, puts him in touch with 
every phase of the school system of the Buckeye state. This knowledge he 
has gained by continuous experience of thirty years, which experience makes 
him familiar vv-ith the needs and wants of our public schools. 

Not only in the school room and school matters does Professor Zeller 
interest himself, but in any line which is meant for the advancement of the 
interests of young people. He has for long years been prominently identified 
w^ith the Young Men's Christian Association movement and is at the present 
time a member of the board of directors for the city of Findlay. He is an 
active worker of the Methodist Episcopal church, being at the present time a 
member of the board of stewards, upon which board he has served for twenty 
years. He was one of the organizers of the branch of the Methodist denom- 
ination on the north side of the city known as the Howard Methodist church, 
and for years was a member of the board of trustees. He was also active in 
the erection of what is known as the Heck Methodist church in Findlay. In 
connection with his duties as superintendent of schools. Professor Zeller has 
interested himself in the public institutions of the city, giving aid and comfort 
to every enterprise that meant the advancement of Findlay. He w^as a mem- 



586 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

ber of the Fincllay Natural Gas Company, the pioneer company of the north- 
ern Ohio oil fields, which drilled the first well for gas not only in Ohio but in 
the whole northwest. This well was drilled in 1886 at Findlay, and the de- 
velopment which has followed that first enterprise is well known to all. 

The family life of Professor Zeller has been a happy one; he was joined 
in marriage in 1874, in Warren county, Ohio, to Julia, daughter of Thomas 
M. Abell. 

GEORGE S. STOUGH. 

Among the young and enterprising agriculturists of Hancock county 
we take pleasure in presenting this name, a gentleman who, in the brief time 
he has been engaged in that line, has given evidence of superior ability, Mr. 
George S. Stough resides at the present time in Allen township, where he 
-Qwns eighty acres of valuable land, which he devotes to general produce. He 
was born in Cass township in 1867, and is the son of Christian and Maria 
(Eckert) Stough. He received the ordinaiy education given by the district 
school, and that other education which is only acquired by hard knocks in 
the service of Dame Nature on the farm. The thoroughness of this latter 
training is responsible for the success he is making. The event which 
rounded out the life of Mr. Stough to its fulness occurred March 8, 1888. 
On that day he was joined in marriage to Miss Annie, daughter of John 
W. and Adaline Hudson, of Allen township. The birth of seven children 
followed this marriage : Chlove ; Collin F. ; Gail ; Glen ; Bessie, deceased ; 
Gladys, deceased; and Ralph. Mrs. Stough was born in Allen township in 
1869. 

Christian Stough, the father of our immediate subject, was born in Ash- 
land county, Ohio, in 1846, and was a lad of seven years when he, with his 
parents, George and Ann Stough, removed from Ashland county to Han- 
cock, where they bought a quarter section of land in Allen township. This 
land was entirely primitive except a small tract of six acres, and the family 
thus had the hard labor of clearing the farm for cultivation. Young farmers, 
like our immediate subject, can hardly appreciate the labor by which they 
have come into their inheritance. Mr. George Stough was an excellent 
citizen, a member of the Evangelical church, and a man in wdiom his neigh- 
bors placed implicit confidence. He reared a family of ten children, four of 
whom are living: Daniel, Louise, Henry and Christian. The father died 
on June 13, 1898, his wife having preceded him five years before. Chris- 
tian, the son of George, and the father of our subject, is at the present time 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 587 

one of the substantial farmers in Allen township. His farm contains one 
hundred and sixty acres, and there is one gas well which produces gas for 
several homes. His family numbered three sons: George S., Charles J., 
and Guy. There is no family in Hancock county that stands higher socially 
or in a business connection than that of the Stoughs. They are honest, up- 
right in their dealings, and are held in high repute by their fellow citizens. 

JAMES L. PATTERSON. 

The Daily Courier is now one of the institutions of Findlay and a 
quantity to be reckoned with in the world of politics, business, industrial and 
social advancement. Its growth in a few years has been phenomenal, as 
from a feeble and insignificant sheet it has been advanced to a position of in- 
fluence, due to a large circulation and able management. The gentleman 
whose name is above given and who has been the chief agent in effecting this, 
received before entering the newspaper field precisely the training which 
seems to best fit a man for editorial work. In the first place he received a 
good general education; secondly he had large experience as a teacher and 
superintendent of schools, but better than all a thorough course in law at a 
first-class institution. With this equipment, aided of course by the practical 
knowledge acquired by actual contact with the world, Mr. Patterson took 
hold of the newspaper business and showed himself from the first to be well 
qualified for this exacting vocation. 

James L. Patterson, now editor and principal owner of the Daily and 
\Veekly Courier, was born on a farm in Noble county, Ohio, October 23, 
1855. He had unusually good educational opportunities, included in which 
was attendance in the National Normal School at Lebanon, where he w.as 
graduated in the class of 1878, and a subsequent course at the Ohio Univers- 
ity, in Athens. In 1892 he entered as a student in the famous law school at 
Ann Arbor, Michigan, and was given his degree of Bachelor of Laws with 
the class that graduated in 1892. At the age of nineteen Mr. Patterson began 
teaching school in Noble county, Ohio, and continued in this occupation for 
three years. LTis next move was to Stockport, Ohio, where he was made 
superintendent of schools and retained this position two years. From there 
he went to McConnelsville, county seat of Morgan county, where he again 
joined the educational corps as principal of the high school, followed later by 
election as superintendent. He remained in this responsible position during 
the seven subsequent years, and then began the study of law, which termin- 
ated with his graduation at Ann Arbor. He was admitted to the bar in 1891, 



588 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

previous to his graduation, but shortly after the latter event he made a move 
which diverted him from the field of law to that of journalism. Mr. Patter- 
son's first venture in that direction was the purchase of the Akron (Ohio) 
Times, which he effected shortly after leaving Ann Arbor. It was a Demo- 
cratic weekly paper, which, after retaining about one year, he disposed of to 
seek a better opening. Going to Portsmouth, Ohio, he bought the controll- 
ing interest in the Times, a weekly Democratic paper published at that 
place, and in the spring of 1894 added a daily edition, which he con- 
tinued to manage during the following four years. In 1898 he sold this plant 
and came to Findlay, where soon afterward he organized the Courier Com- 
pany, which purchased the material and name of a weekly and daily that had 
been running for some time, but does not seem to have prospered. This 
paper at the time of the purchase of the plant had about one hundred and fifty 
subscribers to the daily edition, which has been increased by the new manage- 
ment to a handsome list of about two thousand five hundred. Mr. Patterson, 
who owns the principal interest, was made manager and editor by the new- 
company, and it is chiefly to his skill and energy that the flattering success of 
the enterprise has been brought about. 

In 1888 Mr. Patterson was united in marriage with Miss Nettie B., 
daughter of George Benjaling, of McConnelsville. Aside from business 
cares he finds some time for fraternal association and holds memibership in 
the Masonic Order and the Knights of Pvthias. 



ABRAHAM ROETHER. 

One of the able and successful agriculturists of Pleasant township, who 
resides on his own farm and tills it to the best interests of himself and the 
soil, is Abraham Roether. Mr. Roetber was born in Berks county, Pennsyl- 
vania, on October 15, 1822. and is the son of William and Elizabeth Roether, 
who were both natives of Pennsylvania and there lived and died, numbered 
among the highly respected citizens. When Abraham was but six years of 
age, his parents removed to Lancaster county of the same state, and there 
the son grew to manhood, educated in the public schools of the neighborhood. 

At the age of nineteen our subject came to Wayne county, Ohio, and 
after making several removals in that state finally settled in Richland county, 
where his marriage to Mary Steck occurred on March 13, 185 1 ; she was a 
native of Switzerland and was born on March 7, 1828. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Roether were born eleven children, eight of whom grew to maturity, and six 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 589 

of the number are still living: William H. ; Milinda A.; Rebecca J.; Mary 
E. ; Samuel W. ; and Reuben, who is postmaster at McComb. 

For nineteen years of his life Mr. Roether was a shoemaker, having 
learned the trade when a boy. In 1858 the family removed to Hancock 
county, where they located on the present farm in Pleasant township, of 
which at that time only a few acres were cleared. He first built a log house 
and in the course of time was enabled to build his present convenient resi- 
dence. His farm is now in a fine state of cultivation and yields good returns, 
a sure proof of Mr. Roether's progressive methods. 

The family are members of the Evangelical Association, in which Mr. 
Roether is class-leader and steward. Politically he is a Republican and has 
always cast his vote in the best interests of his county and state. Now in his 
old age he has reason to be proud of his long and useful career and he well 
deserves the esteem of all his acquaintances. 

GEORGE McLELLAN REYNOLDS. 

The man who works his way to the top in any business is always the 
man who is best posted and who knows when things are wrong just where 
to place his finger and what to advise. Certain kinds of work attract certain 
men, and if the opportunity does not present itself, the man seeks the op- 
portunity. 

Mr. George M. Reynolds has all his business life been connected with 
oil wells, and probably knows more about them than any one connected with 
him in his work. He was born on a farm in Erie county, Pennsylvania, in 
] 863, where he lived and was educated until he was seventeen years of age. 
He then went to the Bradford, Pennsylvania, oil fields and started in the oil 
business, his first position being as a pumper; he then rose to be a driller, 
and soon began contracting to put down wells on his own account in other 
fields in his native state. He continued to work in the Pennsylvania fields 
up to 1888, when he went to the gas fields near Brandenburg, Kentucky, 
where he was engaged in sinking gas wells for four years. In 1892 he came 
to Findley, Ohio, and has been contracting for oil well drilling ever since, 
having been connected with some of the largest oil enterprises in that vicinity, 
his judgment being considered sound, owing to his wide experience. Besides 
his work as contractor he is also a producer on his own account in the Findlay 
re;:,non. 

Mr. Reynold's father was George Reynolds, who was born in Mercer 
county, Pennsylvania, in 1812, and died in 1886. He was a farmer and owned 



590 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

and worked a large stone quarry. He married Arminta Wooley, of which 
union there were born eleven children, of whom six are now living. Two of 
Mr. Reynold's brothers served in the Civil war: Benjamin F., who was a 
private in a Pennsylvania regiment of infantry, and who served four years; 
he died in 1901. The other brother was Clark, who was also a private in a 
Pennsylvania regiment, and was killed in his first battle, at Fredericksburg. 
Mr. Reynold's grandfather was Anson Reynolds, a native of Pennsylvania. 
He was a farmer, and the Reynolds family is of old English stock. 

In 1889 Mr. Reynolds married Rose E. Dooley, and they have two chil- 
dren, William D. and Alton McLellan. ]\Ir. Reynolds is a Republican in 
political faith; he is a chapter Mason and belongs to the order of the Mac- 
cabees ; he has never affiliated with any religious body. 

WILLIAM BRENNER. 

The name of William Brenner at the present time is synonymous in the 
city of Findlay, Ohio, with sound financial standing and executive ability, 
and in a consideration of his career we find that he has a most admirable rec- 
ord and is certainly deserving of the success he has won. He is Russian 
born, and his ancestry have been prominent in social and industrial circles in 
that country for many generations. His father, Alexander Brenner, was a 
wholesale dealer in linen, flax and grain in the state of Kovina, Russia Po- 
land; he had fifty thousand acres of land and employed one hundred and 
fifty men to cultivate it. He lived to be nearly one hundred years old, and 
was prominent in many ways, having the distinction of being a friend of 
Czar Nicholas I of Russia. His wife was Freda Brenner, the daughter of 
a distinguished rabbi in Poland, who had been a member of the priesthood for 
forty-eight years. 

William Brenner was born of such worthy parents in the state of Ko- 
vina, Russia, on February 11, 1863. He had the advantages of education 
which European countries usually afiford young men of means, and after 
an extended course in which he studied Hebrew, German, Russian, Polish 
and Latin, he was graduated in 1882. Shortly after his graduation 
his father died, and his first experience in a business capacity 
was as secretary for the mayor of a city of forty thousand inhabitants. At 
an early age he became confirmed in his dislike for cards and drinking, and 
the character thus early strengthened has been his mainstay throughout life. 
A few years later he determined to leave the country to avoid the rigorous 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 59i 

military seivjce which is the bane of the youth of continental countries, and 
in 1888 he arrived in Castle Garden, New York, having seventeen cents in 
his pocket. He made his way to Michigan, and for one year was engaged 
in the scrap iron business. His arrival in Findlay was in 1889, and he made 
the beginning of his ultimate success by carrying on the scrap iron trade on 
a small scale, but he was one of the workers who have no conception of fail- 
ure or cessation of toil, and by 1893 he had earned by his industry and care- 
ful business methods fifteen thousand dollars. In 1900 he felt able to enlarge 
his enterprise and found a rolling mill. He formed a corporation and be- 
came its president and general manager, and he is practically owner of the 
concern. Four hundred men are employed in this large enterprise, and al- 
though at the time of this writing the mill is not in operation, owing to same 
labor difficulties, in a short time work will be resumed. 

With such an excellent record to his credit in the business world, it is 
pleasant to mention that Mr. Brenner w^as happily married in Toledo, Ohio, 
to Miss Sarah Sugarman, a daughter of a prominent clothing merchant 
of that city, and they now have three bright children in their home. Rose, 
Dora and Alice. Mr. Brenner is a stanch Republican, and about twelve 
years ago became a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows ; he 
is also a Maccabee. He has had a varied experience with bankers and busi- 
ness men, and he is known and esteemed as one of the most progressive and 
honorable citizens of Findlay. 

HERBERT V. BEARDSLEY, M. D. 



The true measure of success is determined by what one has accomplished, 
and, as taken in contradistinction to the old adage that a prophet is not with- 
out honor save in his ow^n country, there is particular interest attaching to 
the career of the subject of this review, since he is a native son of the place in 
which he has passed his active life, and so directed his ability and efiforts as 
to gain recognition as one of the representative citizens in Findlay. He is 
actively connected with a profession wdiich has close bearing upon the welfare 
of the community, and which is one of the most important callings to which 
man can devote his energies— the alleviation of human suffering, and in the 
line of his profession he has won notable and enviable distinction. 

The Doctor was born in Findlay in the year 1859, being a son of the late 
Daniel Baily Beardsley, who was born in Licking county, Ohio, May 12, 1832, 
and died in Findlay, Ohio, September 29, 1894. He was a son of Barney and 



592 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

Anna Beardsley, and was one of the oldest residents of Hancock county, hav- 
ing moved here with his parents in 1834, where he made his home until his 
death. In his early youth he lived on a farm and worked as a millwright with 
his father. Always a great student and reader, he obtained the best common 
school education possible in those early days, and for a number of years 
taught in this city, but finally began the study of law under the direction of 
Walker & West, of Bellefontaine, Oh.io, being admitted to the bar in 1856. 
For twenty-five years he served as a justice of the peace of Findlay, and also 
held a number of other offices. During the war of the Rebellion he was a 
deputy revenue collector, and was a man in whom the whole community had 
the most implicit confidence, being known throughout the county as " Honest 
IDan Beardsley." On the 22d of May, 1856, Mr. Beardsley was married to 
Jane Hoisington Summers, of Wayne county, Ohio, and they had one son, 
Dr. H. V. Beardsley, and four daughters, three of whom are living: Mrs. 
G. W. Ross; Mrs. W. I. Keefir and Mrs. S. T. Tyler. Mr. Beardsley wrote 
and had published a history of Hancock county, which contained many valu- 
able statistics, and more than two thousand volumes were sold to the old resi- 
dents of this locality. He was a member of many fraternal orders and was a 
Master Mason, having always taken great pride in attending the meetings of 
that order. 

Dr. Beardsley, of this review, was reared in the city of Findlay, and after 
attending the common schools until he had acquired his elementary education 
he entered Oberlin College, which he attended until the junior year. He also 
pursued a course in Cornell College, at Ithaca, New York, and then, determin- 
ing to make the practice of medicine his life work, was graduated in medicine 
in 1883, in the Cleveland Homeopathic College. He located for the practice 
of his profession in Ada, Ohio, where he remained for sixteen months, and 
then came to Findlay, where he opened an office and has since remained, de- 
voting his energies to the constantly increasing demands of his profession, his 
partonage steadily growing in volume and importance. 

In 1886 Dr. Beardsley was united in marriage to Miss Harriet Farrell, 
a daughter of John Farrell, and she died in 1896, leaving four children, as 
follows: John D., Frances E., Ruth A. and Geraldine. In 1898 the Doc- 
tor was again married, his second union being with Laura B., daughter of 
William M. Morehead. They have two children, Edith N. and Girard G. 
Dr. Beatdslev is a ])rominent and popular member of various fraternal orders. 
He belongs to the Kniglits of Pythias lodge; the Ancient Order of United 
Workmen, in which he was grand medical examiner of Ohio; the Tribe of 
Ben Hur. of which he is now past supreme chief; the Protective Home Circle; 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 593 

the Knights of the Maccabees; the Woodmen of the World; the American 
Legion of Honor; and the Home Guards of America. In city affairs he is 
also prominent, and takes a deep and helpful interest in many measures for 
its good. For five years he was clerk of the city school board of Findlay, 
during which time school buildings were erected at a cost of three hundred 
thousand dollars. He is now the president of the city election board, serv- 
ing his second term of four years ; has four times been a delegate to the Re- 
publican state convention, twice to the congressional conventions and twice to 
the judicial conventions ; and is very active in politics, his labors being effec- 
tive in promoting the growth and insuring the success of his party. In the 
field of political life and professional activity he has won distinction, and to- 
day is numbered among the leading, influential and honored residents of his 
native city. 

ADAM GLECKNER. 

The Teutonic race is very generously represented in Hancock county. 
They are almost without exception good and honorable citizens, hard workers 
and possessed of the spirit of work. The above worthy representative of the 
common interests of the county is a native born German, where he first saw 
the light in the kingdom of Bavaria, June 6, 1846. He resides now in Big 
Lick township, where he cultivates a holding of one hundred and seventy- 
seven acres. At the age of eight years the parents of Mr. Gleckner, Peter 
and Susanna, crossed to this country, the great republic of which they had 
heard so much. Here they located in Seneca county, Ohio, where they en- 
gaged in agricultural pursuits until 1864, when they came to Hancock county. 
Here Peter Gleckner purchased a small farm which he cultivated to the time 
of his death, April 28, 1902. The date of the wife's death was May 29, 1897. 
They had but two children, one being deceased. 

Adam Gleckner received his early education in Seneca county, and re- 
moved here with his parents at the date above stated. Upon coming to ma- 
urity he purchased a small portion of land and at various times has added to 
this first purchase, reaching the acreage stated in the first part of this para- 
graph. November 17, 1868, he was joined in marriage to Amanda V. Little, 
born May 7, 1847, i^ ^ig Lick township. This lady died December 28, 
1898, having proved an excellent wife to Mr. Gleckner and a loyal mother to 
her children, of whom she had two, Nora E., now the wife of Edwin L. 
Shoolroy, and John H. Mr. Gleckner gives his influence to every good work 
in the community, and does not stint his time in administering the unpaid 



594 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 

offices of the township. He served a period of seven years as trustee, and has 
been frequently on the school board and as census enumerator. He is a mem- 
ber of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which body he is trustee. The 
chief pride of Mr. Gleckner is that he has unaided and alone carved out a 
place for himself in the society of the county, and that he stands now as one 
of the leading and most wealthy agriculturists in Hancock county. He is 
an honored and highly respected citizen and his sterling worth and high 
moral character attract to him a host of friends. 

NELSON H. MORRISON. 

Nelson H. Morrison, who is well known as one of the prominent agricul- 
turists of Marion township, Hancock county, is a native of Mifflin county, 
Pennsylvania, where in 1847 he was born, and where he received his training 
and education. He is the son of Alexander and Leah (Lowery) Morrison, 
also natives of Mifflin county, Pennsylvania, who were united in marriage in 
1846. Their family numbered two children: Nelson H. and Catherine. 
Alexander was born in 1823 and was a manufacturer of woolen goods in 
Mifflin county, Pennsylvania, but removed to Hancock county, Ohio, in 1876, 
where he purchased one hundred acres of land and turned his attention to 
farming the remainder of his life. 

His son. Nelson H., was engaged for a number of years in the woolen 
business also, but is by trade a harness maker. He now devotes himself to 
farming and carries on business where his father left off. He was married 
in 1866 to Miss Mary, daughter of Robert McDowell, and to them were born 
Emery, Charles, Clarence, Harry and Delia. 

FRANK R. CROVVELL. 

Frank R. Crowell is now identified with commercial interests in Findlay 
as proprietor of a grocery store. He was born in Sandusky, New York, in 
1854, and is a son of Spencer Crowell, whose birth occurred in the Empire 
state and who died in 1877 at the age of sixty years. Joseph R. Crowell, a 
brother of our subject, joined the Union army during the Civil war, becoming 
a private of the One Hundred and Fifty-fourth New York Infantry, in which 
he served throughout the struggle. He was shot through the lungs at Look- 
out Mountain, but recovered his injury and died in the year 1891. 

To the district school system of his native state, Frank R. Crowell is 
indebted for the educational privileges which he enjoyed. He was reared 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 595 

upon a farm in Cattaraugus county, New York, remaining there until he was 
twenty-six years of age, during which time he became famihar with all the 
duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. He then left home, 
going to Allegany, New York, and was employed in the oil fields of that lo- 
cality for seven years, also spending a part of the time in a grocery store. In 
1887 he came to Findlay, Ohio, and here began the manufacture of wooden 
oil tanks, which business he carried on profitably until 1901, when he estab- 
lished his grocery store, in which he has already secured a good patronage, 
and his trade is constantly increasing. 

In 1881 Mr. Crowell was united in marriage to Miss Ellen M. Sparks, 
and to them have been two children: Josephine M. and Frank M. In his 
political affiliation Mr. Crowell is a Democrat. In manner he is pleasant and 
genial, and has won many friends among his patrons as well as among his 
social acquaintances. 



